


Aye Aye Captain

by DoctorFatCat



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Aftermath of Violence, Alternate Universe - Pirate, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Boatswain!Hoseok, Captain!Kihyun, Developing Relationship, Eventual Smut, Historical Inaccuracy, M/M, Multi, Mutual Pining, OT3, Past jooki, Polyamory, Prince!Hyunwoo, Showki, Showkiho, Side Minhyuk/Soyou, kiho, showho, side jookyun
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-28
Updated: 2020-04-05
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:13:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 26,641
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22932340
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DoctorFatCat/pseuds/DoctorFatCat
Summary: The seven seas have many stories to tell. But no story was ever told by the seas as the one from Youngmen’s Treasure and it’s sailors, or thetreasuresencountered in their journey.
Relationships: Lee Hoseok | Wonho/Son Hyunwoo | Shownu, Lee Hoseok | Wonho/Son Hyunwoo | Shownu/Yoo Kihyun, Lee Hoseok | Wonho/Yoo Kihyun, Son Hyunwoo | Shownu/Yoo Kihyun
Comments: 26
Kudos: 94





	1. Arrival

**Author's Note:**

  * For [showkiho](https://archiveofourown.org/users/showkiho/gifts), [mrtvejpes](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mrtvejpes/gifts).



> Hello this was originally a long oneshot but I'm a clown  
> Hope all of you enjoy this, the notes will be kept to a minimum  
> Obs.: Obviously this isn't the most historically accurate but I've done what I could to keep it as adequate as I could.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Isn’t that the beauty of him?

The seven seas have many stories to tell. From days of yore, tales of murders, robberies, tales of forbidden love, happy and tragic endings. Some became haunting nightmares, others bestselling novels. Some went down with the ship, and were forgotten forever.

But no story was ever told by the seas as the one from Youngmen’s Treasure and it’s sailors. Or as they should be called: _pirates._

“At the ready!”

_“Please let me go,” the man whimpered, tugging at the restraints. “I’ll give you money, treasure! Just please-”_

_“Quiet,” Changkyun hissed. “For your own safety, be silent. If the rest of the crew finds you before we burn down the ship it’s over for the both us.”_

_“You’re burning down my ship?!” gasps the prince, looking more astonished than actually worried._

_“You’ve been attacked by pirates, what did you expect to happen next?” Changkyun scoffs._

_“But will my crew survive?”_

_“You’ll be luckier if they don’t,” deadpans the boy. “Stay put, and quiet,” he warns before scurrying off._

“Cover!”

_Son Hyunwoo sits there, tied to a canon, and fearing what might come next. Outside, he hears shouting and screaming from both his crew and the ones that invaded their ship, and recognizes his own is losing men by the second, going down faster than the anchor._

_And he’s not sure yet if he should feel thankful or frightful for not going down with his ship._

“How much?” Asks the captain, pressing a cloth onto his arm where it’s been grazed by a sword. The fabric turns crimson by the second.

“Enough gold and silver to buy all the gin and wine you might want, and more,” Minhyuk, the quartermaster, snickers. “Could get you a fine lady if that’s what you were into.” He walks up to his friend and takes the cloth, pressing down firmer. “Apparently it was a royal ship, but I couldn’t recognize the crest.”

“I’m sure you will make good use of that privilege,” Kihyun sighs. “Regarding the crest; I couldn’t take a good look at it,” replies the captain, wincing as his friend presses down harder.

“Maybe Changkyun knows,” Minhyuk suggests. “Where’s Hoseok anyway? Shouldn’t he be doing this?”

“In the berth. Jooheon is in a worse situation than I am, so I told him I would take care of this,” says Kihyun.

“Will Jooheon be alright?” the quartermaster questions with raised brows, wondering how much this affects the captain, the subject of the injuries being his former lover.

“He will be fine, it’s just a small wound, probably a knife. We have ways of cleaning and bandaging. Hoseok will make use of it all if he has to. We will buy more as soon as we reach shore and make berth,” he tells.

“As you wish.”

They fall silent, Minhyuk pressing down onto the wound to stop the bleeding while Kihyun locks his jaw to keep himself from hissing. The quartermaster bites back another snicker.

Then down the deck comes Changkyun, trotting over and seeming to be unsettled. “Something has happened,” he says as soon as he reaches them.

Both older men share a look before redirecting their gazes at the gunner. “What has happened?” asks the captain.

“Come look,” sighs the younger man, motioning for them to follow. “It’s down in the orlop.”

Both men follow the younger down to the orlop deck, wondering what it might have been that distressed their sailor into having to call for help.

They soon find out what.

“Who is that?” questions Minhyuk, eyeing the man in fancy clothes tied to a spare canon, his head down low as if scared to look up.

“He’s from the other ship,” explains the gunner.

“What is this? I said ‘no prisoners’, Changkyun,” scolds Kihyun. “What has gotten into you? This is dangerous.”

“He’s harmless. And he was fucking _sleeping_ when I found him,” Changkyun argues. “We need more men.”

“Since when do we spare men for sleeping? Dead men tell no tales, boy!” Kihyun roars. “We’re not keeping him. That was a bloody royal ship, we can’t risk it. You have no idea who this man could be! We have a code, and you just put the whole crew in danger.”

Changkyun tries to argue, but the captain pulls out his double barrel flintlock and points it at the tied up man hunched over himself. The gunner’s breath catches, and the quartermaster watches as the captain’s sleeve is now stained with blood that has leaked from his wound.

The man on the floor raises his head, and looks at the double barrel pointed at his face before looking up at the man holding it. Kihyun’s glare falters for less than a second. The man, as big and intimidating as could be, indeed looks harmless. His eyes are big and merciful like ones of a small animal, and his features are soft and ethereal.

“What is your name, sailor?” he asks, less rough than he intends for it to be.

The man on the floor straightens up and looks at Kihyun like he’s long lost his most prized possession, and has now found it in the captain’s eyes.

“I am prince Son Hyunwoo, son of king Son Hyunseung II, from Clarkia,” he mutters softly, loud enough to be heard.

“Isn’t Hyungwon from Clarkia?” asks Minhyuk with a tilt of his head, thinking out loud.

“He’s the direct heir of the throne. And you brought him here,” Kihyun says through gritted teeth, and Changkyun wonders how much of his dignity he’d have left if he hid behind the quartermaster.

“Don’t kill him,” the gunner says. “I have reasons why I brought him here.”

Kihyun looks at him, and then glares down at the man tied to a canon, wishing this was another circumstance, in which he had found him while on shore and the man was in his quarters instead, looking up at him like that and waiting to be granted all pleasure known to mankind.

“They better be good reasons,” Kihyun hisses.

Hyunwoo is confused. He watches as the two men walk off towards the weather deck, and glances up at the quartermaster. Minhyuk quirks an eyebrow with a smirk, and then shakes his head to himself with a chuckle before following the other two out.

Sometimes the captain can be so easy to predict.

“What the fuck is this, Changkyun?” Kihyun roars at the gunner. “Do you want to visit Davy Jones’ locker?”

“Easy,” whistles Minhyuk from behind. “You got a man killed for touching this boy years ago. Your threats are empty, mate,” he adds.

“This is insane. And dangerous,” the captain huffs.

“Isn’t he exactly your type, though?” the quartermaster chuckles. “Keep him here. He could be useful as a sailing master, he’s got knowledge. And he could help you relieve stress, I bet.”

“Minhyuk, I know you’ve been brought up in a god forsaken bilge, but I have not, and I’m not going to throw myself at a man who clearly has not even killed a fly before in his life,” Kihyun says, indignation clear in his voice.

“Rude.”

“It’s dangerous to keep him,” the captain repeats.

“You said it just seconds ago, Ki. Dead men tell no tales. We took care of everyone and burned the ship down. There’s no way they could know he’s with us,” Minhyuk says.

“They’ll come looking for him, Minhyuk. He’s a prince,” he sighs.

“We’re not known for kidnapping though. We always loot and make sure to not leave any trace, be it men or ships. How could they even consider us?” asks Changkyun.

“We are pirates,” the captain deadpans.

Minhyuk snickers, seeming to be in the mood for that today, and Changkyun pinches the bridge of his nose. He knows the captain is right, but he also knows no one will come looking for the prince.

“Hey,” calls someone, and they turn to find Hoseok walking in their direction. “Jooheon’s all bandaged up, he’s alright.”

“Anything we should worry about right now?” Kihyun questions.

“We just need to stock up on bandages and such, but Jooheon will be alright, he’ll live,” the boatswain smiles. “He said he wanted to see you,” he turns to Changkyun.

“And I want to see him,” smiles the gunner. “I’ll talk to you later, captain!” Changkyun calls back as he’s already speeding towards the berth, where Jooheon awaits.

“They make me feel smitten,” says Minhyuk with a small smile. “I hate it.”

“Don’t be like that,” Hoseok laughs, and grabs the taller male to playfully strangle him.

Kihyun snorts. “I’ll go take care of the _situation,_ Minhyuk. Try not to get killed,” he calls. “And try not to break my quartermaster, Hoseok.”

“Aye aye, captain,” the man says with a smile that has his nose scrunching up as Minhyuk flails miserably, in an attempt not to have his bones crushed.

The captain goes back down to the orlop deck, and notes how the prince raises his head to see who’s the newcomer, instead of keeping it down as he had before. Kihyun approaches, pulls up the sleeves of his shirt, revealing his toned and mildly scarred arms, and reaches to untie the knots.

“Are you not going to shoot me?” Hyunwoo asks. Kihyun doesn’t look up, but shakes his head. “Are you throwing me to the sea?”

“No,” curtly responds the captain.

“Then what are you doing with me?”

Kihyun finishes undoing the knots, and pulls the other man’s hands from the ropes that are no longer tying him to a canon. He looks up at the prince’s face, then, and wants to reply with things he shouldn’t, not to a prince.

“I don’t know,” he simply says. “You are staying until we decide what to do next. For now, you behave. Try anything funny and you got a pirate ship in the middle of the sea ready to tackle you.”

It’s a warning, and Hyunwoo knows those well.

“I will not try anything, captain,” he complies. The use of his position in that sentence is much more attractive to Kihyun than he thought it could be. “But do not keep me down here any longer, please.”

Kihyun smirks. “Don’t worry, your highness,” he starts, and makes a mental note on how it has the prince flustered. “You are staying in the stern, in some of the quarters,” Kihyun says, and stands up from his crouching position, offering a hand to Hyunwoo. “Come. This is no place for a prince.”

The captain reveals himself completely different from what the prince of Clarkia would have expected of the head man of a pirate ship. As he guides the bigger man out, he doesn’t raise his voice at him or nudges him forward, and instead keeps his head up high while giving Hyunwoo time to follow him to the main deck.

“Minhyuk!” he calls, and waits with Hyunwoo standing close, to the side but still behind him, like a dog would. The prince flinches at the thought.

The quartermaster comes strolling towards the captain and the prisoner, the look on his face more curious and defiant than anything.

“You called, Mr. Catshark?” asks the slender male with a lazy smile, grinning when the captain sighs.

Hyunwoo has to bite back a small laugh. He’s seen catsharks before, and is aware of their small size; compact, just like the captain.

“Crew meeting by the stern. Now,” Kihyun says. “All hands hoay.”

The other man simply nods and turns to call for the rest of the crew, shouting in a way Hyunwoo would judge highly inappropriate, especially considering the profanities he calls his mates by.

“Follow me,” the captain instructs before he starts walking towards the aftermost part of the ship, Hyunwoo trailing behind.

They stop by the helm, where an even taller and lankier man maneuvers the ship. Kihyun greets him, and watches as Minhyuk drags every member of the crew to the stern.

“Should I bring Jooheon too?” he asks, and before Kihyun can say anything, Changkyun speaks up.

“No. He should rest. Whatever is said I’ll pass on to him. Or any of us, for the matter,” he says.

“He’s not _dying,_ Changkyun. It’s a cut,” the man maneuvering the helm snorts.

“He got too stressed, Hyungwon. Changkyun’s right, he should stay down in the berth,” Hoseok pipes in. “What’s this about?” he then questions, this time directly towards the captain.

“Well, as all of you can see, we have one more person on board,” Kihyun looks over his shoulder towards the prince as he says this, and Hyunwoo swallows when all gazes fall on him. “He’ll be staying with us indefinitely.”

“I thought you had said not to take in prisoners?” Gunhee asks with a quirked brow.

“I did. But _someone,_ who I will not name, decided to disobey an order.” Kihyun looks directly at Changkyun as he pauses his speech. Gunhee snorts. “He brought this man on board, who happens to be the prince of Clarkia.”

“Isn’t that where Hyungwon is from?” Hoseok asks.

The tall lanky man looks over to Hyunwoo, and the prince holds his gaze reluctantly.

“I was never in with the noblemen. If you know what I mean,” Hyungwon speaks. “Isn’t it dangerous to keep a prince on board? He’s a whole heir,” he then adds, frowning curiously. “I don’t understand the logic behind this decision, captain, _o_ captain.”

“Can someone else take over the helm and hang Hyungwon onto the bowsprit?” Kihyun sighs, and Hyunwoo hides a small smile behind his hand. “Why is he even on the helm, anyway? Only Changkyun and I should maneuver the ship. We’re the sailing masters.”

“You two were preoccupied and I went with the next best option that wasn’t doing anything,” Minhyuk explains. “I had two choices, and we all remember what happened the last time Gunhee was on the helm.”

Gunhee simply shrugs. “That’ll teach you not to put a powder monkey to control the rudder.”

“Please focus your jellyfish brains on me for a second before you all go hell bent again,” Kihyun calls. “The prince is staying, the reason behind that decision won’t be disclosed for now, but I will ask that you trust me,” he tells them in a serious tone. “Until it is decided what will be done of him, he is an honorary member of the crew. Find him a role, teach him how to fulfill it. He has to fit in and learn our ways. Also, come and hand me the clothes you don’t want or need anymore. He needs proper clothing to fit in.”

For a second, the prince worries. Apart for one of the crewmen, who seems to be built for fighting more than anything, he’s sure whatever’s given to him might be too tight for comfort. He hopes the clothes he’s given are used enough they’re loose, and not that filthy.

“He could walk around undressed for a few days until we get to shore,” Minhyuk suggests with a malicious smile. Hyunwoo feels fear creep up his spine.

“You are disgusting, go find something useful to do,” Kihyun chuckles. “Show some respect, wormhead. Would you rather be the undressed one?”

“As if I haven’t before.”

“Anything any of you want to say?” the captain asks the crew.

Hoseok steps forward slowly, and all eyes fall on him. Hyunwoo catches sight of him, and notices the man glances at him before focusing on the captain.

“What is his name?” he asks.

Kihyun turns to the man, and looks at him expectantly. The prince is unsure of what to do.

“Uh,” he starts, and feels his throat dry. “I am Son Hyunwoo,” he says. “Of Clarkia. I am the first heir of the throne, and only son of king Son Hyunseung II.”

The captain’s face is set straight, but on the inside, he smiles.

“Damn. That’s a lot,” Gunhee says. “My only title is powder monkey.”

“You forgot annoying,” Hyungwon mutters tiredly, and the man with narrow eyes glares at him.

“That’s enough for now,” Kihyun says. “Scram, you can introduce yourselves to him when you’re not busy.”

There’s a rumble as the crew members mutter about not being busy or at how they’ve been rudely dismissed, the latter a joke, as none of them really expects cordiality from anyone on board.

“I’ll show you the quarters you will be staying in, your highness,” Kihyun tells the taller man.

“Will I be staying with the rest of the crew?” Hyunwoo asks.

“No. The crew sleeps down in the berth. Only Minhyuk and I sleep up here.”

“Then… if you allow me to ask, captain, why am I also staying up here?”

Kihyun hums, and opens the door to the cabin Hyunwoo will be staying in. It is small, but it doesn’t look uncomfortable.

“I have two reasons for that, actually, your highness. One is that you are not used to such accommodations, and I’m not imbecile enough to submit you to sleeping in a hanging bed down there around other pirates. The other is that I feel your presence could unsettle the rest of the crew. They shouldn’t be uncomfortable in their own ship, but rather free to be the pirates they truly are.”

“Oh-”

“And I’m not sure you would like to watch Changkyun and Jooheon going at it. With all due respect,” the captain adds.

Hyunwoo sputters, and his face grows red. “I- well, indeed, I would not appreciate witnessing such an intimate activity from their part,” he averts his eyes.

Kihyun looks him up and down, and smirks as his teasing works better than expected. “I hope you’ll find yourself comfortable in your accommodations.”

“I am sure I will, captain,” the prince nods.

“I’ll bring you clothes as soon as I retreat them from the others. For now, try to look less… pristine. You need to blend in,” Kihyun instructs.

The taller man nods, eyes slightly wide.

He watches as the captain bows curtly — unsure if it’s mockery or actual respect for his title — and walks off onto the deck. The prince sighs, feels his body start to weigh down as the reality of his current situation reality settles in. He moves inside the cabin and closes the door behind himself, falling onto the bed quickly as to avoid doing so on the floor. 

As it turns out, Hyunwoo was correct. The clothes are not the right size, but they fit, and it’s enough for him. Though as a man who’s worn tailored clothes for all his life, Hyunwoo is used to a certain fit, and is willing to go through some lengths to get that nice fitting in the clothes he’s given to wear now.

The captain dares to agree. The prince is well built and has defined pecs and wide shoulders that make it impossible to close up the shirt completely. His muscular legs make it hard for Hyungwon’s pants to fit him — those would be more adequate to his height — and so he ends up having Hoseok’s and Jooheon’s old breeches only to pair up. He doesn’t wear a vest, and the cloth most of Kihyun’s men wear around their necks as makeshift ties end up tied around his waist, apparently due to personal preference. The captain knows it’s something highborn men tend to do to accentuate their shoulder’s width. He also knows in the prince’s case, his shoulders look so broad and waist so slim that it makes Kihyun feel a little dizzy.

Soon, the very mentioned Jooheon feels mended enough to walk out to the main deck and finally meet Hyunwoo. He’s nice, very kind even if he clearly was not raised with manners or educated as was Hyunwoo. Jooheon shares with the prince that he too doesn’t understand why he was taken in by the captain after his lover’s foolish misbehaviour, knowing how odd and potentially dangerous the choice was, but treats the prince as one of them, like a potential friend whom he’d like to have. Hyunwoo’s greatly grateful for it, being as kind to Jooheon as the younger man is to him. After all, it’s his pants he’s wearing – this man is one of the only reasons he’s not naked on board.

Changkyun, as Jooheon’s lover, is also kind and cordial to the prince, proving to have been educated and well-mannered, and Hyunwoo does not wonder why he’s the sailing master alongside the captain. He suspects many of these men can’t read, but if he had to bet any of them can, he’d put his hand on hot coal for Changkyun.

Besides those two men, no one really addresses Hyunwoo much. He walks around mostly, paces around the deck and avoids the forecastle, not wanting to invade the crew’s privacy in any way. He helps Jooheon when the younger notices he seems lost and asks for a hand, and gazes at the waves breaking against the hull of the ship as they sail. The powder monkey – Gunhee – seems a little frightened at the sight of him, and the gentle-looking warrior who had asked his name amidst the quarrel that went on at the stern keeps his distance.

Hoseok is the one other crewman Hyunwoo would like to make acquaintances with, and he’s mainly preoccupied for what seems like forever. The prince rarely sees him, and when he does the man is too enrolled in his tasks to bother with interactions like such. The feeling in the prince’s chest borders insignificance, but he knows not to taint that door. He is merely a well-treated prisoner at a pirate ship. He shouldn’t be asking for much more.

The man from Clarkia who he learned is called Hyungwon, and Minhyuk, the quartermaster, like to gang up on him sometimes. He’s sure this is something they do with each other; the teasing, he’s seen it happen, but he’s not used to being picked on like this, not even by his cousin.

And yet, what bothers him the most is that the captain hasn’t spared a glance his way since he got here. He doesn’t know why it matters to him, and thinks he should even be thankful the captain can easily pretend he doesn’t exist rather than making him walk the plank or scrub the deck, maybe even tie him to the canons again and leave him there for hours until his knees were sore. But every time the shorter man walks by and doesn’t look his way or acknowledges him directly, something in the prince grows restless.

“Oh isn’t he steady on his feet for a landlubber?” Calls out the quartermaster loudly, a bottle in his hand and a smile on his face as he watches the prince. “You think he’s upset he hasn’t got any of his pretty stuff anymore?”

“What do you think we should do with the things we got from the galleon before we scuttled it? What was that big junk called anyways? Was it _Biscuit Eater?”_ Hyungwon, the rigger snickers as he walks past his mate.

“Ignore them, that’s how they pass the time sometimes,” Jooheon mutters, pulling on the ropes alongside Hyunwoo to slacken the braces.

“I does not bother me,” the prince assures, putting more strength into it as they manage to open the sail further.

“Heave ho, sailor! Put the legs into it,” shouts the quartermaster, getting closer to the taller man. “You’re all size, there’s no muscle to you. Even Hyungwon can do a better job.”

“Hey, shut it, sharkbait,” Hyungwon huffs, taking the bottle from his friend and drinking from it. “Don’t get too close, you’ll scare him,” he adds with irony.

“I wouldn’t even consider touching the captain’s goods,” Minhyuk smiles maliciously.

“Minhyuk, cut it out,” Jooheon sighs, wiping the sweat off his brow as he pulls harder on the dark colored rope.

The man is about to reply, but he’s interrupted by someone grabbing him by his collar and pulling him back. “Will you stop being an annoying cuttlefish and get to work?” the captain asks with clear annoyance in his tone. “Have you not any brain? Show the few manners I taught you and treat the man right, unlike you treat the rest of us. Let him get used to this before being nasty, the both of you,” he finishes it off by looking up at Hyungwon, who sighs as if lamenting that the fun has been extinguished.

“Can’t I do anything anymore?” the man on the floor complains like a child.

“Oh, quit it. Go find something else to do. Mess with Hoseok, he can take you.”

“He absolutely can,” says the quartermaster mellowly, getting up and offering a lazy smirk to the captain.

The captain doesn’t smile at his joke, and instead scoffs and flicks the taller man on the forehead. “Go. And take Hyungwon with you. There’s too much sluggishness out here with the both of you scurrying around.”

Hyungwon snorts and grabs the quartermaster by the arm, pulling him along, but not leaving before looking over his shoulder and saluting dramatically to the captain, who just snorts at him.

“Thank you, Ki,” Jooheon says, breathless from pulling the rope. “They were getting on my nerves.”

Hyunwoo remains quiet, trying not to look at the captain in fear he might not look back.

“They’re getting bored, we haven’t made berth in a while and we can’t yet while the royal family might still be looking for their heir,” the captain tells Jooheon, but acknowledging Hyunwoo’s presence. “We have to keep ourselves safe,” he adds, and Hyunwoo finally looks up and meets his eyes, without expecting to. “And by extension, you, Your Highness.”

“I tolerate the teasing, captain. Especially if it is my fault they are being kept at sea against their will,” he says honestly.

“They must certainly will live. We’re pirates, buccaneers, the sea is our home,” Kihyun tells him, calmly. “It does not matter who is to blame.”

“But we all know it’s Changkyun,” Jooheon adds. By this point, they’ve stopped pulling, distracted by the conversation. Hyunwoo notices this, and resumes the task.

“That’s arguable at this point. It’s hard to tell if his decision was good or bad, but we’re still to speak of it,” he explains. “Should you be doing that, by the way?” asks the captain, motioning to Jooheon’s torso, the healing wounds under his clothes.

“Ain’t quite sure, but at least Hyunwoo came to help. He’s a lot more useful than Hyungwon when it comes to these.”

“I wouldn’t have doubted he is,” Kihyun smiles, forcing the prince to contain his awe at the foresight of it. “You’ll have to tell me what is it that they had you do at the castle, your highness,” this he says directly to the prince, still smiling.

Hyunwoo doesn’t reply, unsure of what he would sure, but feeling it was rhetorical by all means.

In the distance, over at the stern, a deep voice calls for the captain, and both Jooheon and Hyunwoo promptly pull harder on the rope opening the canvas at the reminder of Changkyun’s voice, who’s maneuvering the ship. Kihyun calls out back to the younger man, letting him know he’ll be around.

“That’s enough, tie it off,” he tells the men slackening the braces before walking away towards the helm, where Changkyun stands.

Hyunwoo hopes, albeit knowing he must be wrong, that the captain will make more of his presence now.

“You took quite a liking to him,” Changkyun observes once the captain is close enough he can speak quietly.

“And you are basing your observations on what grounds?” he questions, sounding like he’s already done with the exchange.

“For once, my dear captain, I was there when you saw his face for the first time. It was comical, if I may say.”

“You may not.”

“And then there is the fact you’re doing your best to avoid him,” he adds smoothly.

“I’m not avoiding him. I’ve just got no business with him, that’s all,” Kihyun justifies. “Or should I remind you that I've not yet been made known of the reason as to why a royal family member is residing in my ship?”

Changkyun laughs at this.

“The reason as to why he resides here is simple: you invited him to. Of course, giving him no other choice as you decided not to slay him,” the gunner draws the picture of said night with his words. “Though, as to why he was _brought_ here… it’s what I called you for. To make it known.”

“I see. So that would be the reason why you climbed down from your beloved crow’s nest and kindly made yourself one of us men again,” says the captain with humor. “So the mystery will be over?” Kihyun then asks with his eyebrows raised in suspicion, as he knows his fellow sailor like the back of his hand.

“I’ll tell you, and the state of the so-called mystery will be in your hands,” he says, and looks grave as he watches ahead to the sea.

Day turns to night, and the sun starts hiding behind the horizon and leaving them adrift to the lights of the oil lamps. It doesn’t feel safe to be out at sea when it’s dark and he has no clear prospect of the future, but Hyunwoo doesn’t miss the dark stone castle once he looks up and the stars greet him gingerly, showing up to shine as the sun allows them to have a turn.

“Bit of a daydreamer, are you?” asks a voice, and Hyunwoo looks over his shoulder to find Hoseok there, watching him with an amused look, but friendly. “Missing your palace?”

Hyunwoo diverts himself at the irony of his question. “I have just been thinking of it, actually. Of how much I do not really miss it once night comes.”

Hoseok reaches his side, and gives him a curious look as he does so, waiting for an explanation that he soon realizes won’t come easily. “How come?” he asks. “Wouldn’t expect that you’d switch a castle for a pirate ship that easily.”

“That I would not. I guess, not that I have ever been given a choice. But there is only so much one can do in a castle when you are confined to your duties and only those at all times,” he sighs, fidgeting with his own sleeves, telling himself it’s okay to act in such an unmannerly way, as he finds himself in a place where it won’t really matter whatever posture he assumes. His aunt would be scandalized. “It is difficult to evade them when you are the heir to the throne and everything is measured to you specifically.”

“Sounds harsh,” Hoseok says absentmindedly. “There’s not really much to do on a sailing ship either, I’d say.”

“There is not, but I am still finding that out,” Hyunwoo says. “Besides, I am not sure how long I will be staying for.”

“Planning to make a run for it, mate?” he chuckles. “Not the smartest option.”

“I am not gonna try and escape, no. I promised the captain I would not,” he makes known, and Hoseok raises an eyebrow comically. “But I do not know yet what you want from me or what will happen if it is decided I am of no use, or too much of a threat.”

“Forgive me for my indecency, but if we were to slay you, we’d have done it a lot sooner. The captain has something on his mind, I’m sure,” he assures. “He doesn’t usually keep great things as this to himself unless he got a good reason.”

“Is your captain always so volatile?” Hyunwoo asks, looking into the horizon where the sun had been gently lowering itself few minutes ago, now completely gone.

“Yes,” the man laughs. “But isn’t that the beauty of him?” he adds, and walks away with a lively air to himself as the prince watches him walk away, surprised at his choice of words, but not quite scandalized by them.

“I could not say so for myself, could I?” the prince whispers in his direction, but not planning to be heard by him.


	2. Mishap

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some things are more beautiful to the eye than stories could ever describe.

Pirates are confusing, Hyunwoo decides. He’s been around for less than a fortnight, and yet he’s still not gotten used to the men he’s been living with. The only man who doesn’t make him feel like he’s talking to some kind of mystic creature of unknown manners is Jooheon, and yet sometimes the man still confuses him in his actions.

The captain saved his life and took him in, and yet will not bat an eye in his general direction, or hardly ever address him, preferring to maybe watch over him from his cabin or through the quartermaster’s eyes, and not really interact with the prince, making it seem like he’s been very unimpressed with him from day one.

Minhyuk teases him constantly but doesn’t ever touch him or approach him too subtly, claiming he’s the captain’s property. The words don’t really make the prince feel any better about the teasings, but the quartermaster does seem to look out for his safety and well being as well as others, which he takes as having been taken in as a crew member.

Hyungwon comes from the same land as he, but he seems to hold some grudge against the prince. Apart from when he doesn’t, and treats Hyunwoo kindly, being civil towards him for a brief period of time before ceasing to address him for several hours and even days.

Changkyun, the very man who dragged him from his ship and saved his life – from his own men, but nonetheless – was still a good acquaintance, but hardly ever came down from the crow’s nest, and when he did, he wouldn’t have much to say to the prince. Jooheon seemed to use up most of his free time too, from what Hyunwoo observed.

The powder monkey, Gunhee, he rarely ever saw, instead only ever hearing him and the others bicker, but for some reason he wasn’t aware of, the man seemed to avoid him.

Then there was Hoseok. He was, right after the captain, the most confusing. He seemed to have taken a liking and interest for the prince, but would rarely ever approach him. Hyunwoo wasn’t sure if he was being mindful of his privacy – which in hindsight was an absurd thought only possible coming from a prince in a pirate ship – or if he wished for the prince to approach him instead, for whatever reason.

Hyunwoo, without any prospects or anything to lose, decided to test his own theories. He was bored out of his mind, and he was sure Hoseok was at least decent.

For lack of something more useful to do, as no one’s given him orders or could expect him to just know how to proceed without orders, having only been on board for over a week, the prince decides to just try it out. The quartermaster had told Hyungwon to raise the main topyard, as the wind was in their favour, and Hoseok had put himself to help alongside Jooheon, as not to waste time. Hyunwoo takes advantage of the situation, approaching them to help as well, and hopefully start up a conversation with either Hoseok or Jooheon – and maybe even Hyungwon, if it would not be asking for much.

But he miscalculates, and goes to the main deck at the wrong time. A yard comes strongly in his direction, and swiftly throws the prince off his feet and over the side of the ship.

The crew members watch, unsure of how to react, as the noble man falls into the sea.

Minhyuk’s the first to speak, yelling at the men to throw him a line, and before he’s even done, Hoseok’s approaching the abaft with the dark ropes in hand and gathering enough to throw into the sea.

It all happens in a second, and the quartermaster watches his captain pull out his guns, throw them on the deck, and dive in after the man. Exactly like they should never do.

The quartermaster helps Jooheon and Hyungwon hold the lines and maintain the topyard in place. From above in the crow’s nest, Changkyun yells as he watches the men in the water, while Hoseok ties the nearer end of the line to the mast.

The prince doesn’t register falling into the water, but feels the cold and eerie embrace of the ocean around him, and soon he’s swimming to the surface. He does register something falling into the water, near him, and he’s set in panic of it being a marine creature until the captain’s familiar dark hair and sharp eyes emerge from the water, and he swims towards the prince with such determination, the man fears he’ll be ended right there for his incompetence.

But he’s pulled aside, and swims alongside the captain, who’s taken hold of the line the crew has thrown at them. He can hear their shouts, and wonders what will happen to him once he’s back on board.

“Pull yourself up,” the captain instructs, struggling to talk as the waves hit him, and trying to hold onto the line that drags them along with the ship. “Quickly,” he rushes him.

The prince grabs the rope, and uses all of his body’s strength to raise his soaking body out of the water and back to the boat. He hears the captain right behind him, and tries to go up swiftly and carefully not to slip and bring the man down with him once again.

He’s pulled up by Hoseok, and Gunhee’s there too to help the captain up. Hyunwoo falls onto the wooden surface and coughs out of reflex, trying to understand what on earth just happened.

Little does he know, the crew is wondering the exact same, only not about his fall, but the captain’s quick reaction.

“Are you alright?” Hoseok asks, coming to offer a hand to pull him up. “Can you stand? Did you swallow a clutterfish?”

“I am not quite sure what a clutterfish would look like out of my dining table,” the prince says, out of breath. “I am quite alright, thank you,” he responds, accepting the hand and sitting up. “I do not think I can stand yet, though,” he says.

“Your flintlock,” Gunhee says, offering the captain his gun as the man gets on his feet and sheds his soaked up coat. He thanks the powder monkey, and turns to the prince, who sits on the floor, looking like a every temptation that has come from the sea.

“Are you alright?” he asks, to Hyunwoo’s surprise.

“Yes, captain,” the prince responds. “I apologize for being careless. It won’t happen again.”

Kihyun holds his gaze, and nods, before dragging himself out of the deck towards his quarters.

“Gotta be careful there, mate. You’re lucky the sea’s behaving today,” Gunhee tells him.

Hyunwoo then stands up, and runs a hand through his hair to keep it out of his face. “I will be. Thank you. I do not wish to be falling into the sea again, unless I am forced to.”

“No one’s gonna force you,” Hoseok says.

The main sail has been opened, and Changkyun has come down to the helm to control the ship.

“You got the captain to go after you,” Gunhee says slowly.

“I am as ashamed of it as you could expect me to be, Gunhee, thank you,”

“You don’t get it,” Hoseok says, looking graver than Hyunwoo’s ever seen him. “We don’t do that. It’s our code. We throw lines but we do not jump after men.”

The prince is unsure of what to do with the information, looking at Hoseok like he’s just been told the biggest lie.

“Have you heard of sirens, your royal handsomeness?” Minhyuk comes right behind him, words spilling out in a manner Hyunwoo could only imagine a snake would speak in, if it could. “Have you heard of the beautiful creatures that call men into the water and drag ‘em down to sink their teeth into their flesh?”

The prince nods, aware of the legends of the sea. “I have heard.”

“I’d say the captain’s found one,” the quartermaster says, flondly. “Only you didn’t drag him down to Davy Jones’ locker, did you? Why is that?”

Hyunwoo is left without words again.

“I don’t understand,” he says.

“Minhyuk, will you let it go?” Hoseok asks, clearly annoyed by the man.

“I’m not saying you’ve done it on purpose, but you might as well have,” he explains. “Should have seen how fast that man went down to the water after you fell.”

“He was quick like a bullet,” Gunhee agrees with humour.

“I’m getting you dry clothes. Come along,” Hoseok says, pulling the man alongside him and away from the others.

Hyunwoo follows him down to the berth, where Hoseok grabs some of his own clothes and hands them to the prince.

“Thank you,” he says, moving to unbutton his shirt.

“Don’t worry, I won’t look,” Hoseok says with humour, turning around with a sly smile to his face.

“I am not a prude, Hoseok. Do not act like I am a damsel because I have been brought up in a castle,” the prince says, but a tinge of pink to his cheeks betray his confidence.

 _“Have_ you seen a dame undressing?” the man asks.

Hyunwoo exhales impatiently as he puts on his clothes. “Cannot say I have.”

“Have you ever seen one of the maids in their undergarments? Have you not sneaked around with one of them and slipped your hand under their skirts when the housekeeper wasn’t looking?”

The thing is he has done those things, but a maid was never involved in his escapades.

“I had a strict tutor. And not much time. Besides, I did not have much contact with my maids,” Hyunwoo explains. “I am dressed.”

Hoseok turns around to look, and hums in appreciation. “So it was your valet, then?” he asks, and the prince’s semblant goes white as a marble statue. Hoseok smiles. “I see.”

“They might need us up there,” Hyunwoo says.

“If they did, Minhyuk would be shouting our names,” the boatswain explains. “Don’t worry, I won’t tease you. I’m just curious.”

“A very dangerous attribute,” the prince observes.

“I’d say. But quite helpful when you live your life on the sea. And you don’t see a dame around, do you?” he asks.

Hyunwoo wonders if it might be some sort of trap, and if the man’s waiting for the opportunity to tease him.

“Alright. Wanna go up?” he asks.

“Why did the captain jump after me?” Hyunwoo asks. “When it is not what you would do by the code?”

Hoseok shrugs. “Probably thought you couldn’t swim,” he says. “Which you quite clearly can.”

“I can, yes. I have been taught to, by my tutor,” the prince tells him. “Clarkia has a shore,”

“You didn’t see the captain’s face when you got back on board. He looked positively dumb,” Hoseok chuckles.

“Because I could swim?”

“Well he jumped after you, and it was useless, wasn’t it? He didn’t have to.”

 _But he did,_ was the thought in the prince’s mind.

Hoseok is kind enough to stand and wait as the prince rolls many thoughts through his head.

“How does it work here, when your captain does not have authority?” he questions.

The boatswain looks confused, and his brows draw in. “Authority? Mate, he’s not our king. He doesn’t tell us what to do, we barely made him captain ‘cause we trust he knows his shit,” he says. “We don’t have that here.”

“Then why do you need a captain?” Hyunwoo questions.

“Tradition. He represents us, and we trust him to know best.”

“How did Kihyun become captain?”

Hoseok smirks at him then. “That is a good one, mate. Tell you what, I’ll come in later when it’s dark, I’ll tell you a story and you’ll tell me another one. Deal?”

This time his words don’t present threat to Hyunwoo’s pride, and he doesn’t expect to be teased. He takes the deal, and follows the man out with a smile on his face, humoring himself at how he got where he wanted, even if not in the best of circumstances.

Things get easier to manage once Hoseok starts helping Hyunwoo get acquainted with the ship, her sails, and how she likes to be worked. The prince has a dull throbbing in his mind that tells him he should do something and prove to be useful as a crew member already.

“Do you ever use your canons?” Hyunwoo asks, happily swinging around as Hoseok teaches him about the lines and what they do.

“Canons are for land,” he replies. “We use guns at sea. Not once since I’ve been a part of this crew have the canons been used. That’s mostly why Changkyun stays up in the crow’s nest all day.”

“Does he not get cramps in his legs?” the prince wonders, looking up to spot the dark haired man up in the tall mast.

“If he ever does, he doesn’t tell us. Besides, he’s used to it, used to run up there all the time when the old captain was around.”

Hyunwoo doesn’t ask about the ominous observation he’s friend’s just made, instead deciding that’s probably a part of the story they left for _later._

He’s been watching them, when there’s time on his hands and he figures studying their behaviour is more useful than sulking around for feeling like he’s of no use. They’re unusual, to say the least, unlike the men Hyunwoo’s used to having around himself. They’re far more open with their insults and with expression whatever may be that’s on their minds, and they seem to have no real concept of personal space or the importance of it’s decency. He’s even heard Changkyun respond to one of Minhyuk’s inquiries while being intimate with Jooheon.

Hoseok himself likes to embrace the others, and in some circumstances, holds them tight enough to have them complain, which seems to humour him and whoever’s around very much. He keeps decent boundaries with Hyunwoo, though, approaching him and touching him, and even putting an arm around him when it feels natural, but never getting into his space in a threatening of uncomfortable manner. Hyunwoo does not know if he would mind if he did it on occasion.

“All done here,” Hoseok announces. “Are you busy?”

The prince is surprised by the question. Certainly Hoseok knows unless he’s told to do something, he’s left clueless. “Not really. I was planning on going inside to read in my quarters once we were done,” he explains.

“Would you mind if I joined? I’m all done too, and I quite like stories,” he says with a genuine and small smile, which makes Hyunwoo feel warm.

“Of course not,” he says.

They go around the deck towards where his quarters are, and even though the space is small and very unlike the rooms he was used to sleeping in, he’s come to accept the small cabin as his own. Hoseok sits on his bed and looks around curiously, noting the very few books by the bed.

“Where did you get those?” he asks.

“They were left here, I think maybe by Changkyun. Guess he thought I’d like the company of some books, and he was right. Fills in the time quite right and takes me out of blue moods,” the prince explains.

“That’s nice of him. He’s a nice boy,” he comments. “Are you enjoying them?”

Hyunwoo is aware of the fact that Hoseok is probably illiterate, and has to remind himself the conversational manners he’s learned throughout his life could not be used in this situation.

“I am, they are very pleasant,” he tells. Hoseok nods, and glances at the books with a look akin to longing. “Would you like to read them with me?”

Hoseok’s eyes widen brilliantly. “Do you mean that?” he questions in awe. “I’d like that a lot.”

“Of course. Company is always welcome,” he assures.

“Well then. But I guess a deal is a deal. A story for a story. Let’s see who tells the best one?” Hoseok says, trying to sound far more interesting than he makes the whole thing seems, which brings a laugh out of Hyunwoo.

The prince sits on the bed by him, and watches him as he speaks.

“We used to have another captain. A self imposed one. Used to go around saying we should do as he said always because he was the oldest crew member. He wasn’t the most likeable, but at the very least competent.”

“What happened then?”

Hoseok looks at him then, his gaze flicks down to his lips very quickly, and Hyunwoo almost mistakes it for a blink. “He hit Changkyun, right on the face where the pride hurts more than the skin,” he says. “He always went after him when he got pissed, he would say shit but we thought it was just drunkard rubbish until he went and hit him. Kihyun started a riot. He was the cook back then, and the sailing master. Changkyun was the powder monkey, and like I said the old cap would always put him down. Gunhee wasn’t even around yet. We followed Kihyun, ‘cause we were fed up as well.”

“So you…” the prince mumbles, and Hoseok tilts his chin up.

“We made him walk the plank. Kihyun was the one right on the other side. Man sunk like an anchor and never came back up,” Hoseok chuckles. “We made Ki captain soon after.”

“Have you ever regretted that decision?” Hyunwoo asks.

“Never,” he says in a heartbeat. “He’s our friend and he’s good at being the captain. Of course if he gets too annoying we can always throw the prince in the water to see him diving after,” he finishes with a very amused laugh, and Hyunwoo elbows him on the ribs harshly.

“No need to bring that up,” he complains.

“Sorry. But it was too funny.”

Funny or not, it didn’t make Hyunwoo any less confused about the head man on the ship, or why he’d risk himself to save a man he barely ever looked at.

“You seem upset. Did I go too far?” Hoseok inquires in honest concern.

“Of course not, but it is confusing to me,” the prince says as he stands. “He is- the captain I mean. He dives after me when I fall into the water and pulls back when he’s got his gun to my face. But he does not acknowledge me.”

“And that bothers you,” the boatswain says in an exhale, as if realizing something entirely new. The prince turns to him curiously. “Of course.”

“It does not matter,” he says dismissively. “Come, let us read a story.”

When asked which book he prefers, Hoseok tells him that he’s willing to read whichever Hyunwoo preferred, so the prince picked one out and sat on the bed with his back against the wood, and the boatswain sat right next to him. He started to read the story and Hoseok swallowed up every word, patiently and atent, unlike the prince’s ever seen him act before.

He feels more at ease around him than even around Jooheon, he’d say. The prince hopes they’ll have more moments like this, which even if uncharacteristic, bring him peace of spirit he needs to be sane.

_“You must be out of your mind,” Kihyun shakes his head, staring at nothing in particular as he digests the gunner’s words. “What do you mean they won’t be looking for him? He’s the direct heir!”_

_“That’s exactly what I mean,” he says. “I heard it, from the stupid drunkards I snuck up to. They were boasting about it like two complete imbeciles, right outside his quarters. It’s quite impressive that he was able to sleep through it.”_

_“Yes, of course, that is the shocking bit of the story,” the captain responds sarcastically. “Tell me what you heard,” he demands, impatient._

_“He was supposed to be crowned king years ago, but his guardians convinced the parliament he should finish his education first. They’re all in with it.”_

_“In with what, for heaven’s sake? Just tell me what you mean to without creating so much drama around it!” Kihyun rushes angrily._

_“They want to assassinate him, and probably make it look like an accident. He’s got no heir, and the prince consort, his uncle, is the next in line after him. They want him out, he’s just a puppet in it,” Changkyun says, standing up from where he was sitting in front of the captain. “We let this man go back to land, he’s on for certain death,” the gunner adds._

_“What made you think that was our problem?” Kihyun asks, so many thoughts and emotions going through his mind he feels dizzy, but he’s a sailor, and he’s grown used to the feeling. His face expresses none of it. “You heard it all from those men?”_

_“Heard a bit and it wasn’t hard to piece it all together. They boast a lot when they drink so much wine their assholes pucker. When I realized, I was already doing it. I mean, a prince is educated, he knows geography, he knows the modern languages. God, how many of our men can even read, Kihyun? We’re savages but we need to get through and men who know their way are useful.”_

_Changkyun stands there, staring at his captain who’s now pacing back and forth in the cabin. “You’ve done such a dangerous and reckless thing. You’re not to be making those decisions without consulting us first,” he turns to Changkyun fully to express his annoyance and disappointment at the younger man. “You know the code.”_

_“I know the code. But I also know to take chance on those who have no one on their side,” he says mutely. “The man was heir to his kingdom and yet his family and all his servants were ready to overthrow him as soon as they got a chance. He disappears, they get what they want and we end up with a new one. And the man lives.”_

_“What if I had killed him. Would you have bawled?” Kihyun asks gravelly, but Changkyun doesn’t waver._

_“But captain you didn’t kill him, did you?” he asks. “This is why we’re here in the first place.”_

_Kihyun sighs. “Have I not taught any of you to think reasonably?”_

_“I’m your golden one, the best you’ll get,” Changkyun says cheekily._

_“Not anymore, you’re not. I’m turning you into sharkbait and making your beloved prince my new sailing master. It’s what I should do,” Kihyun complains, but his threat is empty. He won’t let down his guard around many, but Changkyun is an exception._

_“I will kindly accept your gratitude for bringing in your new favourite, and will also have you excuse me since we’re done here. There are things to do.”_

_The captain doesn’t look at him when he’s exiting, but nods so the man knows he’s been dismissed as wished. “There are far more things to do than we’re prepared for.”_

It’s dark outside, maybe late enough he would be asleep if he was still in the castle. But he can’t find in himself to lie down and sleep.

He’s walking towards the forecastle, thinking about what happened earlier, when he notices someone’s already there.

“I thought you might come here,” Kihyun says, looking over his shoulder.

“Good evening,” Hyunwoo says quietly, and wonders if Kihyun’s been expecting him.

“Morning, I’m afraid. The new day has already started,” he chuckles. Hyunwoo likes the sound, throaty and pleasant to his ears. “How are you feeling?”

He’s surprised by the question, and takes a moment to find words. “I am quite alright,” he responds. “Has anything happened, captain? You look quite troubled.”

“Just thinking, your highness,” he says. He finally turns around, and the look he gives the prince wills him to take steps closer and stand at arms’ reach. “You gave us quite a scare earlier.

“I apologize for being so careless and to have worried you.”

“If I had known you could swim, I would have perhaps been less troubled. But it doesn’t matter, you are safe now,” he says. He sounds gentle, like calm waters, and it’s drastically different to the way he’s seen the captain act before, though his caring demeanour is still present. “I’m glad that you’re safe.”

Hyunwoo feels his face warming up, and thanks the captain politely.

“I was surprised when I was told it is against the code to jump after another man who falls into the sea. You broke the code for a prisoner, and a royal,”

“You are not a prisoner,” the captain says firmly. He looks into the prince’s eyes. “You have no choice to leave, but I’d hope you wouldn’t, given a choice. The world is a dangerous place for a crown heir to wander in.”

“I cannot say if I would like to leave that plainly,” he admits. “Perhaps I’ve grown quite fond of some things I have found here.”

“We have grown quite fond too, I would say,” Kihyun suppresses a smile, looking off into the sea. “Some things are more beautiful to the eye than stories could ever describe.”

Hyunwoo doesn’t want to fool himself, but what the captain is implying is too much.

“I will take it from anyone else, but I beg of you not to tease me,” he says, uncharacteristically serious. “Please.”

Kihyun looks at him again, and he frowns, seemingly hurt. “I wouldn’t,” he whispers. The prince looks at him with straight brows, as if defying him to lie to his face. Kihyun steps closer to him, Hyunwoo’s breath hitching, and raises a hand to brush his knuckles on his cheek, so faint the prince can barely feel it. A gentle tickle to his skin. “I would never.”

He looks into the captain’s eyes, begs him with his gaze to just take him, but if the captain sees, he doesn’t oblige. Kihyun lets his hand fall with clear reluctance, and takes a step back.

“I should go sleep, or see if I’m needed anywhere,” the prince says.

“Most men are awake, you can rest now and help when you wake,” Kihyun tells him, looking at the sea again, his tone back to it’s usual.

“Aye, captain,” Hyunwoo mumbles, not even attempting to be heard, and walks down the deck towards the stern, his heart pounding in his chest so loudly it almost mutes the sound of the sea.

Youngmen’s Treasure soon becomes less of a foreign place for the cast away prince. He wouldn’t call it a home, but he’s unsure if he has ever attributed the word to another place before. The crew treats him not as one of their own yet, but as a welcomed visitor, and they accept his help with whatever he can offer. They often times come to him with questions about the world he’s lived in and they’ve only ever dreamed of, and the prince is happy to comply; it makes him feel interesting, like he has got something to offer to them.

He helps Changkyun with coordinates if needed, and with certain materials he and Kihyun hadn’t had time to look further into. Hoseok likes peeking over his shoulder as he examines maps, curious like a cat and asking questions about it here and there. With time, Hyunwoo also gets better at explaining certain complex things to men who aren’t familiar with the basic things required for their understanding. Changkyun is a big help in this case.

Both Minhyuk and Hyungwon tone down their teasing when he’s no longer such new meat, and eventually Hyungwon does speak to him about Clarkia, and shows the prince his own version of the story, growing up as the son of a blacksmith whose sickly wife died when giving birth to their second son; Hyungwon’s younger brother. The rigger doesn’t resent him for the life he’s lived, but tells the prince that he’s a reminder of what had been, and for that reason he had been pushing any conversation of sorts with him.

When they gather to drink, they mix their liquors with other things, like fruits and sugar, and Hyunwoo finds that it tastes delicious, and gets drunk on it easily. Every sangaree Changkyun hands him is not full for long, and makes him lose all idea of manners he’s ever been taught. He’s sure his tutor could die of shock if he saw the prince like this.

At some point, the cup is taken from his hand, and a voice commands he’s taken to his quarters. Hyunwoo only knows Hoseok is the one helping him get there because of the way he almost lifts him off his feet, while still being careful. The man brings him to his bed, and helps him take off his outer layer of clothing, and the prince starts doing the same for him without noticing.

Hoseok chuckles, refrains him lightly, and tries to get the prince to lie down and rest, knowing the next day would be rough on him after having drank for so long. Changkyun was the one on the helm, and the ship had been rocking more than usual that night. Either that, or he was drunker than he thought.

Which might explain why when the prince pulls him down onto the bed and asks him to stay, he does. He has a soft spot for his new friend, he knows it.

That night, Hoseok slips into the small bed, letting himself feel as drunk in the affection as he does in rum and gin, holding the prince as he falls asleep, soon taking Hoseok with him.


	3. Abyss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sirens lure sailors to their death...

“Careful with that,” says the captain from behind him, and Hyunwoo uses all his willpower not to freeze in place like a cornered prey.

“I know how to handle a gun, captain,” he says quietly, trying to focus on polishing the flintlock as Minhyuk had kindly requested him to.

“I’m sure you do, your highness,” the captain says in a firm tone, and yet the way the words roll from his tongue make the prince pause for a second, feeling his body warm up. He’s sure his ears are read with how hot they feel. “Who gave you this task?”

“Minhyuk. He asked me to since Hyungwon was busy.”

Kihyun hums, getting closer to him and watching as he cleans the barrel of the gun. “Can you shoot?” he questions.

“I can, yes,” responds the prince frankly. “I’ve been trained for it.”

“I presumed you might have been,” he says.

The captain starts walking away, and in the high of finally being addressed and having a quick conversation with him, the prince blurts out “Captain!” making the man turn back to him with quizzical brows.

“Yes?”

Hyunwoo did not think it through.

“I… Um, I would like to know about your decision. Will I be staying, captain?” he questions.

The man fixes him with a look, and Hyunwoo feels he maybe asked this question with too much liberty, unaware that in reality the man is debating with himself if he should let the prince know the truth, or if he should be protected from it, the pain of knowing his own family planned to have him out of the picture for good.

Kihyun looks at him, the big man, with kind features, sincere eyes, who tries to be useful and never complains, even if he’s used to a significantly bigger amount of luxury. He’s a find, and the captain has already accepted that he is fond of the man. For this reason, taking in the way Hyunwoo looks up at him expectantly, Kihyun makes his decision.

“There is no need to rush this topic. You’ll be staying and you’ll receive the treatment you’ve been receiving until this moment, and what’s to come next will come at it’s own time. You’ll know what you need to know,” he explains, and even though he sounds firm, he tries to deliver his words carefully, so the prince will hopefully understand that he’s going to stay with them for a good time, but they won’t disrespect his boundaries.

He doesn’t know if the prince gets the undertone of what he’s saying or not, but he nods, and turns back to focus on the gun.

Hyunwoo doesn’t take much time after that to finish cleaning the flintlock. Minhyuk had told him that obviously it wasn’t necessary, and that he should only do it if he wanted to, once the prince had asked if he could help with anything. Hyunwoo enjoys cleaning things, and making anything as beautiful as it can be, so he accepted the task gladly.

He mostly helped Jooheon and Hyungwon for the rest of the day, but for all of them it had been monotone. The sea was calm, and so was the wind, and they sailed smoothly towards their destination, which Hyunwoo had no knowledge of yet. He supposed he didn’t need to know.

Night came, and Hoseok snuck into his quarters, falling easily next to him on the bed and resting his cheek against his shoulder as the prince softly read to him. He always got to immersed in it, so focused and atent, and it made Hyunwoo feel special in a way; _heard._

“And Hermia wakes up, and she says _‘Help me, Lysander, help me! Do thy best to pluck this crawling serpent from my breast! Ay me, for pity! What a dream was here!’_ ” he stops for a moment to wet his lips, and Hoseok shifts a bit next to him. _“‘Methought a serpent eat my heart away, and you sat smiling at his cruel pray. Lysander! what, removed? Lysander! Lord! What, out of hearing? Gone? No sound, no word?’”_ Hoseok makes a noise, and huffs. Hyunwoo continues with a smile on his face. _“‘Alack, where are you speak, an if you hear; speak, of all loves! I swoon almost with fear. No? then I well perceive you all not nigh, either death or you I'll find immediately.’_ and exits,” he says, finishing the second act, and looking over to Hoseok, who sits next to him with a concerned look in his eyes.

“That’s horrible! Lysander no longer loves Hermia? After all they have been through? That’s not possible,” he says, sitting up. “It’s so unfair that Helena gets loved by him when she does not want him.”

“As is it fair that Demetrius loves Hermia when she does not want him?” Hyunwoo questions.

“It’s different. Lysander and Hermia are being broken apart by foolish laws. They went through so much to be together, and just like that they are ruined forever?” He asks, clearly upset over it. “How can that be?”

“That is your point of view, Hoseok. When both men fought for Hermia, you thought it fair, and now that they fight for Helena, you claim that it’s horrible. Their situations are the same in different occasions,” he explains.

Hoseok huffs, and lies back down next to Hyunwoo, putting his head on his shoulder, cheek resting against his chest and making his lips pout. “I don’t like this. Can’t they be together? Can’t they be happy?”

“There is still more to it. We’ll start the third act next time,” the prince says softly, raising the book so he can analyze it’s cover as he says “I wish I could take you to watch this play. It’s magnificent.”

The boatswain hums, and says with a voice slightly muffled “You would take me with you?”

“Of course I would,” says the prince softly. “I’ve attended plenty of plays with bad company. Someone I like having around would be very welcome.”

A silence follows, which Hyunwoo knows is only filling the time for something to come.

“Would you not take the captain with you?” Hoseok questions.

The prince’s breath hitches. “I’m not sure the captain would enjoy my company at a play.”

“You would take him, had he asked,” he says. “He would take you. You’re his new favourite.”

“Why do you say that?” he whispers.

“The way he looks at you, Hyunwoo. Whenever you’re not looking, he looks over you like he’s worried something might happen to you at any moment. He dove into the ocean for you despite our code,” Hoseok shakes his head. “I know him, I’ve lived with him for long and he’s a good friend. He’s got that soft spot for you.”

Hyunwoo watches the man as he speaks. The way he seems unfazed, but there’s a sentiment in his eyes that the prince does not miss.

“When were you going to tell me that you love him?” he asks softly.

The boatswain sighs. “There’s no need,” he says. “It’s passive, it’s always been.”

“Does he know?”

“We’ve had our moments, quite a few times. But he always stops and ends it way too soon,” he mutters. “I know he loves me, but I doubt the same way.”

“Don’t keep that to yourself,” the prince mutters. “You have me now.”

Hoseok hums, putting an arm over the prince’s middle. “I do.”

“Will you stay tonight?” Hyunwoo asks.

Hoseok nods against his shoulder. They lie there talking about the theater, Hoseok asking and Hyunwoo replying, trying to give him all the details he can remember, as he knows the chances of them ever going are slim to none.

Hyunwoo watches with fascination whenever Changkyun props himself on the crow’s nest, looking like he owns the air as well as the sea. He wonders what it would feel like, to move that way, as if he weighed nothing and was one with the wind.

“Curious?” Hyungwon questions.

The prince purses his lips, and says “Not much. Just wondering how he gets there so fast,” with honesty.

The rigger makes a noise in acknowledgement. They proceed to watch Changkyun for a few moments, for no particular reason, until comes up to them Jooheon cleans his throat loudly.

“May I ask why the both of you have grown so interested in the crow’s nest?” he asks with his arms crossed.

There’s a moment of silence, Hyunwoo unsure of what to say, and Hyungwon noting something.

“You can’t possibly be jealous,” he scoffs. “I have no interest in men, Jooheonie, and if I had, Hyunwoo would appeal much more to me.”

“Really I’m just wondering how he gets there so fast, I swear,” the prince says softly to his friend. Jooheon softens at his words, having a very soft spot for Hyunwoo. Of course he knows this, but sometimes the heat affects his logical mind.

“Changkyun couldn’t get you anyway,” Jooheon mutters. “He is terrible with feelings. Pined over me for _months_ before my brother got sick of it and just begged him to confess,” he chuckles. “I was sitting next to them.”

“Effective,” Hyunwoo says, jolly.

Hyungwon snorts.

It had been recently only that Hyunwoo had found out Gunhee and Jooheon were half-brothers, having the same father and raised in a family of buccaneers. Both unsure what happened to their mothers, were left alone when their father and the rest of their crew were hanged. They had a fallout, the brothers, and at the tender age of seventeen, Jooheon joined Youngmen’s Treasure’s crew, becoming a pirate with his newfound family.

Gunhee only joined them five years later, once Kihyun was already captain, when they made bert in an island and his brother found him living off scraps covered in dirt, with no money to his name and barely any dignity left. He’s been around ever since.

Their stories tug on his heartstrings, all in different ways. How Hyunwoo lost a mother and was raised by a rough father with a younger brother that had inherited their mother’s health issues – and to this day Hyunwoo isn’t sure what happened to him. The way Changkyun was raised by a scientist, an eccentric one, who took his own life after his wife passed, and Changkyun was only sixteen. Then there was Minhyuk, who was born in a slave ship, son of slaves himself, and got taken away from his family when he was too young to remember them, living like a free kid from enslaved parents who had no right over him. He grew up in ships, hiding in them and learning how to operate, until he and Kihyun found each other.

Hoseok had yet to tell Hyunwoo how he came to be a pirate, or what Kihyun had been before he found himself in Youngmen’s treasure.

What Hoseok had told him, or rather: what Hyunwoo realized, about his feelings for the captain, started to show up every now and then, whenever he paid attention. It was the way they talked, the way Kihyun laughed whenever Hoseok did, how the boatswain would to what his captain asked without question, but sometimes teasing him, which Kihyun would take lightly, unlike he did with Minhyuk and Hyungwon when they tried to get under his skin. There was how Kihyun would pass on the grog for Hoseok to drink when it was too cold, and the look in Hoseok’s eyes whenever he complimented the food and Hoseok had been the one to make it.

It was everywhere, at some point, and Hyunwoo is unsure how to feel about it. This is not because of his own feelings for the captain, which he’s been harboring and questioning himself over, but about how their interactions and clear affection for each other didn’t affect him like he would expect. When Kihyun speaks in a gentler tone to Hoseok, he feels warm inside, and when he catches his friend staring at the captain for too long without realizing, he feels fond.

He only later realizes, when he’s eating a meal alongside Changkyun and Jooheon – both chatting about something Gunhee and Hyungwon had managed to screw up earlier – that this may be because he doesn’t take Hoseok in like he does the others. He craves his affection, his head on his shoulder or chest when he’s reading for him, his lips against his skin when he makes small comments on the story, his company most nights when the other accepts to stay and sleep next to him, and especially his attention to the prince whenever Hyunwoo wants to help and be useful, but is struggling with it. He wants the captain to want him back, and he doesn’t want to miss the feeling of Hoseok’s fingers intertwined in his hair if that happens.

Hyunwoo is convinced he has lost it.

It’s morning, and he’s in his quarters changing and getting ready for going out to help when his friend comes in to tell him Changkyun’s waiting for him. The sailing master had promised to teach him how to use the helm, and Hyunwoo was excited about it.

“I will be just there, let me make myself decent first,” he says, putting on a shirt he knows was Jooheon’s, and buttoning it. He takes the bandanna he tends to tie around his waist, which is the only thing he had left from his royal clothes, and started to fold it neatly as the tie it right.

“Let me dress you, like your valet did,” Hoseok mutters softly, taking the cloth in his hands, suddenly with a softer look in his eyes.

Hyunwoo only watches as he comes closer and circles his body with his arms, to wrap the fabric around his waist like he does to himself.

“I have never bedded my valet,” he responds. Hoseok pauses and looks up at him, worried about having misunderstood what he thought he knew about the prince. But he continues. “First was the pantler, and then the constable. Once almost the cellarer” he laughs softly, embarrassed. “Never the valet.”

Hoseok laughs along, wrapping the fabric carefully around his waist. “My my, someone’s been around,” he teases with no malice. “I can just picture you in the stables, covered in hay with a pretty thing on top of you,” he whispers.

Hyunwoo shakes his head. “I was never that careless. And he wasn’t a pretty thing,” he says honestly. Hoseok chuckles, finishes tucking in the corners of the fabric, and keeps his hands on Hyunwoo’s waist, looking at him.

“Why do you wear this around yourself?” he asks.

“It has more of a resemblance to what I am used to,” the prince admits. “And I like what it does to my figure and posture, if I’m being quite honest.”

The boatswain smiles, and he has a fond look in his eyes when he says. “I quite like it as well.”

He knows his ears must be pink, and suspects it has spread to his cheeks. He’s not sure why it feels this way, why he feels this warm like when the captain jumped into the sea after him, or when he scolded Hyungwon and Minhyuk so they would stop teasing him. He’s confused, very much so.

Hoseok’s hands run up his sides, chest, and end up cupping his face. Hyunwoo’s eyelids flutter; it feels really nice. He brushes his thumb against Hyunwoo’s lower lip, but his gaze doesn’t tear away from his eyes.

“Changkyun’s waiting,” he says.

Hyunwoo nods, and Hoseok lets go of him so they can go out.

It turns out he’s really not terrible at controlling the rudder. The ship hasn’t leaned over dramatically, and she seems to be going well. Though Hyunwoo’s sure if the wind was stronger it would be far harder to do this, he knows he’s doing quite alright.

“I think that’s enough for now,” Kihyun says from where he’s been watching next to Changkyun. “Wind is starting to pick up, he should learn when to take a strong wind another time.”

“I do not mind strenuous work, captain. I should get used to it,” Hyunwoo says.

Kihyun shakes his head, and pats Changkyun on the shoulder. “I need to talk to you, your highness,” he explains. “Some important things, more important than this.”

The prince steps aside when Changkyun takes hold of the helm, and looks at the captain with worried eyes. He notices Kihyun’s eyes dart down to his torso, then back to his face, quickly, and feels like it’s a tiny victory. Though most of his mind is consumed by the concern of what the subject the captain wants to address with him may be.

He doesn’t notice the look in Changkyun’s eyes as they walk towards the captain’s cabin.

“Good job maneuvering the helm,” Kihyun says after opening the door and allowing Hyunwoo to enter first. “It’s not that easy a task.”

“The compliments sometimes sound like doubts to me,” Hyunwoo says. “Did you doubt I could do it?”

“No. Clearly you have the strength for it, which is necessary, but there is a reason why only me and Changkyun do it. The crew knows the basics, but it requires finesse, a small movement does a lot and the rudder isn’t forgiving,” Kihyun explains, moving to sit on his chair. Hyunwoo sits right across from him, resting his hands on the bureau and waiting. “Your highness, you have asked me recently if your fate had been decided,” he says calmly.

“I have,” the prince agrees.

“The truth is that it has, and it already had been when you had asked,” the captain pauses for a moment, and seals his lips in a crisp line before he keeps going, his hand now tapping the wood surface anxiously. “We have decided to take you in, as one of us. We won’t be returning you in exchange for gold and treasures, or making you walk the plank.”

Hyunwoo lets out a shaky breath, and leans back on the chair to rest his stiff muscles. “I don’t understand. Why would you not want to give me back in exchange for gold? I’m of no use to you.”

Kihyun takes in his words like a punch to the gut, but he doesn’t let it show. Many of the prince’s assumptions are wrong, and hurtful.

“My prince, we have chosen to keep you with us, because Changkyun had a reason to bring you in, which I cannot ignore,” he explains. “We could return you to your kingdom and take the treasure and gold with us, but I won’t act against my better sense.” Kihyun moves closer, and he watches Hyunwoo like he’s worried he could faint at any moment, even if the prince doesn’t seem like he will. “Your life has been threatened. If you return, you will die.”

Everything becomes silent for a moment. Hyunwoo can’t hear anything or see anything apart from the captain’s expression in front of him, how he’s watching him carefully. It all ceases to exist for a moment, then all comes back like it had never left in the first place.

“My life…” he starts, unable to form words.

“It is safest for you to stay, and you’re of good use to us. You’re a fast learner, you’re educated and you know geography, many languages, you have the finesse for precise shooting and to maneuver the rudder. Not many men like you come across us and accepts to stay,” he says.

“But I do not belong here,” he says quietly, with a heavy heart. “I am an odd one, I do not fit in with your crew.”

“Every one of us has felt that way when we joined the crew. Apart from Minhyuk, I guess. You belong, Hyunwoo,” the prince looks up at him with wide eyes. “You will realize, that once you accept yourself as one of us, you will feel like you belong, for _we_ have accepted you already.”

“Was it my family?” the man asks. “Did my family arrange for it?”

He doesn’t have to specify what he’s talking about, nor does Kihyun have to ask. He nods only, and looks grave as he does so. The prince tilts his chin up and looks away, staring at the corner where the walls meet the ceiling. His eyes glisten under the sunlight that comes from the windows, and the captain bites the inside of his cheek. It’s not fair this is the destiny this man meets, while the terrible people in his family get a throne, and to rule whole reign. How ironic of him, a pirate with such compassion.

He knows that’s what got him to be voted captain, though.

“I can’t say this comes as a shock,” Hyunwoo says bitterly, and his voice wavers.

The captain sighs, and reaches into one of the bureau’s drawer to pull out a bottle of gin. He grabs a cup, and fills it, passing it to the man. Hyunwoo takes it and take two large gulps of it, which Kihyun can’t admit to find impressive. And absolutely attractive.

“I’m sorry things have happened the way they have,” Kihyun says honestly.

“I’m not,” Hyunwoo says. “Had you not taken me in, I’d be covered in dirt or worse. The best thing that could have happened was being found by you.” He looks at Kihyun as he says the next words, and he looks sad. “I did not lose a home and a family, captain. I never had them in the first place.”

He stands up and thanks Kihyun before walking out, the cup still in his hand, and leaving the cabin. He needs more than gin.

“Hoseok?” he calls. The man is nowhere to be seen, and Hyunwoo assumes he must be in the berth. “Have you seen Hoseok?” Hyunwoo approaches gunhee, who’s finishing a knot on the mast.

“Down at the orlop!” he informs.

The prince moves quickly to reach the deck.

“Hoseok?” he calls as he gets down there, ignoring the memories of the day in which he was taken in.

“Yes?” the man calls, and Hyunwoo turns to find him kneeling next to a canon. “Is everything alright?”

The prince only then realizes his face is wet, and that he’s panting. He doesn’t know what to say, thinks of words but none of them come, so he shakes his head, and Hoseok finishes putting in a new wick quickly so he can run towards him.

Hoseok tries taking him to his quarters, but Hyunwoo refuses to do so. He ends up taking him to his hanging bunk down in the berth, and lies in it with the prince holding onto him in the same way Hoseok does when Hyunwoo reads for him. He feels bad he can’t read, so he starts singing quietly to a song he’s learned back at the hospital.

Hyunwoo feels intoxicated by him unlike the alcohol could ever do, and closes his eyes as this is exactly what he needed.

“Do you have to leave?” Hoseok asks. Hyunwoo senses the fear behind the question, the hesitance in his tone even if he’s trying so hard to sound calm and not shaken up Hyunwoo further. Despite it all, it makes him feel wanted, and to feel wanted right now is the biggest luxury he could find.

He shakes his head, and in return, Hoseok holds him a little tighter.

“Then there ain’t nothing we can’t do together, is there?” he mutters reassuringly.

And Hyunwoo smiles; Hoseok is absolutely right.

“From now on I am a pirate,” he says. Hoseok hums. “You will teach me how to be a good one, will you not?”

“You’re already a good one. Just have to make it official and assign you a role.”

The prince sighs, and buries his head on Hoseok’s shoulder, making him laugh. He doesn’t remember being held like this. Maybe when he was a child, but he doesn’t remember. None of the men he’s been with would hold him. They barely stuck around after they were done, pulling up their pants and sneaking out in fear of getting caught and being hanged. He understood, but he also didn’t think they would have wanted to stay. He was a prince, but for them he just a warm body ready to please their needs, and Hyunwoo was in fault for being so willing for so little. He didn’t know better.

“You have a lot on your mind, my lambkin,” Hoseok says. “Do you want to stay here? We can go to your bed, and we can talk about silly things until you feel better.”

“The sun still shines, we should not stay in for long,” Hyunwoo retorts with a small pout.

“They don’t need us, and if they do, Minhyuk will come call.”

He accepts this. Hoseok obviously knows better, and he’s not a slacker, so Hyunwoo trusts him. They both get off the bed, and Hoseok turns to gently dry the prince’s face before they walk out of the berth. Everyone is doing their thing, and Kihyun is probably in his cabin, for Hyunwoo doesn’t see him.

“Come along,” Hoseok mutters softly as he opens the door to the prince’s small quarters. They enter, and Hyunwoo unwraps the bandanna he had around his waist. “Do you want to talk about what he said to you, or maybe about something else?”

“Something else,” Hyunwoo says, quiet voice and downcast eyes. The boatswain smiles sadly, and brings the prince along with him so they’ll get on the bed. They take off their boots, and lie down side by side. Hoseok lies on his back, and Hyunwoo on his side, observing him. “I heard Hyungwon and Gunhee dropped one of Kihyun’s guns in the sea,” he starts.

Hoseok laughs. “Aye. Idiots, they are, decided to try and shoot a seagull with it and Gunhee thought he should lean over the side. Never do that, not in a ship, and especially not in a small one like an east indiaman. He almost fell over, but Won caught him, you know? But the gun went right down, sank so fast it was gone before the water even started rippling.”

“How mad was Kihyun?”

“I wasn’t there, I think I was still in the orlop, but Minhyuk told me he was more tired than angry. He said it was funny even,” he chuckles.

“He seems to be so stressed sometimes. I have already seen him scolding everyone,” Hyunwoo says. “I think you are the only one I have not seen him scolding yet.”

“That is because I always do what I’m supposed to. And also I always bribe Minhyuk into helping me hide my faults,” he grins. “Though you’re right, Kihyun has been more stressed these days. A lot less playful. He’s talked in that captain voice of his a lot more.”

“Never to Jooheon either,” the prince adds. “But it’s fair, Jooheon always obeys, I have not seen him slip up once.” He sighs, and his eyelids flutter.

“He could never speak like that to Jooheon,” Hoseok says softly, his voice a whisper as he plays with the sheets in the small space between them. “They were lovers.”

Hyunwoo doesn’t know what to say. He hadn’t expected that, taking that the captain and the boatswain act so naturally around each other, unlike he’s seen even the presumably happiest couples in the royal court do. “Jooheon and the captain were lovers? When? What happened?”

Hoseok sighs, and turns on his back. “Before Kihyun became the captain. When he was just a helping cook and a sailing master, and Jooheon was just a crewman. Why they broke it off, it was never clear. But we all saw how they changed, and whatever they had, didn’t. Not in a good way, but not in a bad way either. I’m not sure how to explain. Didn’t last long after Kihyun was elected captain, but before that we all thought they were gonna sign a mateship,” he says it all in a tone the prince can’t pinpoint. Nostalgia, maybe, or even sadness.

“Were they together for long before that?” he asks, because something in him needs to know more. He feels restless, yet again because of the captain. The man barely spares a glance at Hyunwoo, and yet he reacts this way at the mention of him.

“After Jooheon joined the crew, I remember, Ki was smitten. It was a matter of time, you know? I watched it all happen,” Hyunwoo recognizes Hoseok is indeed both nostalgic and gloomy as he recalls the memories of those days, and regrets ever asking. “They became lovers soon, and hell we all thought it wasn’t gonna last, but it did. Couple of years and we started counting the days till they decided to sign it. But for some reason they never did.”

“Maybe they knew,” Hyunwoo whispers gently. “They were young, somehow they knew it would end.”

“With this life, you can never be sure. You live in the moment, that’s all,” Hoseok tells him. “Jooheon... he always knew how I felt. He was never distressed about it, loved me like a brother and I loved him right back. Still do, of course.”

“Jooheon is very kind.”

They fall into silence, the melodies of the sea filling the space.

“I saw they doing it, one night,” Hoseok says out of sudden. “Jooheon was on top of Kihyun, right on his hips, and god be damned it looked good and I wondered what it would feel like to sit on top of him and move like that. For a second I wanted to be Jooheon. Then the bastard saw me,” he chuckles, unexpectedly, and Hyunwoo frowns with a smile forming on his lips, curious. “He saw me, and he kept going. He smiled at me even. That’s when I was sure he was crazy. But then I knew, too, that whatever went on, we were alright.”

“I should not be shocked at the lack of privacy you all get, sleeping together down in the berth. And yet somehow this comes as quite a surprise. Even if I _have_ been made known of what Jooheon and Changkyun get up to,” the prince tells Hoseok, chuckling heartily.

“Well, mate. If there’s one thing I can tell you is that those two get up to _some_ shit. It’s freaky, really. You’re lucky you haven’t had to see it,” he laughs along with Hyunwoo, hushed. The both of them giggle along like little children trying not to wake up their parents, and not like two grown men sharing a bed in a pirate ship.

Hyunwoo watches Hoseok’s profile in the unlit room, how his plush lips look from the side and the pretty shape of his nose. He wants to kiss him. “Did it hurt? To see them together?” he whispers, scared the words may cause heartache.

If they do, Hoseok doesn’t let him know.

“Not quite. I knew it wouldn’t be me. Not with Kihyun, even if I wanted to. He wouldn’t take me, no matter how close we got to it,” he purses his lips. “I never understood why.”

“I don’t either,” adds the other with frankness. Hoseok turns his head curiously to look at him. “Why wouldn’t he want to take you?”

“Say it like that again and I’ll think maybe _you_ want to do it,” Hoseok lets his words out quickly and under his breath. He doesn’t reprimand Hyunwoo, but he does sound like it.

The prince doesn’t hesitate; “I can’t see a reason why anyone would say no to you,” he says, and he looks into the other’s almost concealed eyes in the unlit cabin as he does.

Hoseok turns back on his side. As he faces Hyunwoo, his hand goes to his nape and he supports his upper body on his forearm, leaning in closer to the prince. “You’re a fool, my prince,” he whispers, lips brushing against his.

“I’m no longer any of those things,” he has the chance to say before Hoseok puts an end to the space between them and clashes their mouths together.

Hyunwoo hasn’t kissed many. Those he’s kissed had never seemed to serve him right, not like this, not in this way that would have him shivering and arching to touch the man before him.

“I don’t want you to think I’m fooling you. My heart’s stubborn, Hyunwoo,” Hoseok says.

“So is mine,” he promises. “And so you’ve said: live in the moment. We can do just that,” Hyunwoo says. “We’ll cross any bridge once we come to it.”

Hoseok nods, and lies back down facing him. He takes the prince’s hand and brings it to his lips, kissing his knuckles.

They fall asleep examining each other’s features, until their eyes grow tired and fall shut.

Sirens lure sailors to their deaths, and like a siren, the prince lured Hoseok into this abyss from which he kept falling, unsure of what the result will be, and of what he wishes for it to be.


	4. Commiseration

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Smooth sea never made a skilled sailor

He wakes up unsure of his surroundings, feeling Hoseok’s presence next to him, his arm around his middle keeping him in place and comforting.

And then he feels it, the warm pressure of a hardness against his hip, making him awake further and his body warm up, starting from his neck and spreading like sun rays. Had they not kissed the night before, Hyunwoo wouldn’t probably be so bold, but he wants him, wants to show Hoseok how much he’s wanted.

He turns gently, Hoseok’s arm still around him, and cups his face, leaning in to kiss his closed eyes, his forehead, and his cheekbones. Hoseok wakes up when he presses a kiss to the corner of his lips, and gives the man a sleepy confused look.

“You have something to take care of,” he whispers to the boatswain, pressing his hips forward gently and bringing his attention to Hoseok’s hard member.

“Oh, fuck,” Hoseok whispers, propping himself up on his elbow and moving away, back hitting the wood surface of the wall. “Hyunwoo…”

“Let me touch you,” he asks. Hoseok becomes less stiff after this, moving back to hold the prince, with heavy eyelids.

“I can’t,” he whispers. “I can’t let you touch me, it’s wrong.”

“You know I have done this before,” he says, confused.

“I’ll feel like I am betraying him,” Hoseok explains. “I can’t do this.”

“Please,” Hyunwoo cups his face. “You must look so beautiful when you lose yourself,” he whispers, like it’s both a secret and a promise. “Do not deprive me of that,” he pleads.

Hoseok looks at him deeply and thoughtful. Hyunwoo watches him expectantly, waits for what seems like ages, until the man finally seems to make a decision. He leans in and kisses him, pulling a satisfied noise out of him, and takes his wrist, placing the prince’s hand on his chest.

Hyunwoo seems to understand with this that Hoseok doesn’t want him to interfere, and lets a hand on his chest, but brings the other to the back of his head and grips his hair gently. He’s figured out already that when he’s kissed like this by him, everything becomes about Hoseok.

He feels Hoseok moving against him, almost shaking, and he hears the sounds he makes, against his lips, in his throat, with his hand. He touches himself so desperately, driving Hyunwoo crazy, wanting to touch, but not wanting to do something Hoseok specifically told him not to. He grips his hair harder, kisses him more passionately, and Hoseok makes the most delicious sound.

“You are so beautiful,” Hyunwoo whispers as he parts his lips from Hoseok’s from a moment. Hoseok opens his eyes and looks at him, and he’s panting against the prince’s lips. Hyunwoo feels the most urgent need to touch him yet again, and uses all his strength – carefully – to help Hoseok get on top of him, sitting on his lap with his legs on each side of his hips.

He can see it now, how his pants have been pulled down just enough for him to have his member out and wrap his hand around it. He makes an impatient noise, gripping Hoseok’s huge thighs, and the boatswain’s response is to moan louder, feeling Hyunwoo’s eyes and hands on him as he does this most filthy thing on top of him. On top of a _prince._

“Hoseok,” he says between gritted teeth, breathing heavily as if he’s the one Hoseok’s touching. He really just wants him to know how incredible he looks, but words don’t seem like enough.

On top of him, Hoseok groans, puts his other hand on Hyunwoo’s chest and moves his hips against his own hand. Hyunwoo puts a hand over his, moves his hips up against Hoseok’s ass, grinding against his own hardening member. Hoseok notices, he knows this, because he starts doing it harder. He looks into Hyunwoo’s eyes, his eyelids flutter and he lets out a low drawn out moan, thrusting forward into his hand, shooting all over the prince’s unbuttoned shirt and exposed chest.

“I’m sorry,” he breathes out, having to put his other hand on the mattress next to Hyunwoo to avoid falling on top of him.

But Hyunwoo pulls him close, and he has to use all his strength not to fall on top of him and dirty up the both of them. They kiss again, and the prince rolls his hips up against Hoseok’s ass directly over his crotch. He whines against his lips, like he’s begging, and scrambles to hold onto Hoseok like he’s afraid he’s going to lose him at any second.

They kiss, Hoseok allowing him to grind against his ass and holding him as he does so, when he feels the almost staccato breaths coming out of the man under him. Hoseok breaks the kiss and has to gently break apart from Hyunwoo’s tight grip to be able to move away enough to look at him. His eyes are wet, and he looks almost pitiful. It fills Hoseok’s heart, and then breaks it.

“Lambkin,” he whispers. At this, the prince emits a small sob.

Hoseok caves in. He presses his forehead against Hyunwoo’s, kisses his nose. “It’s okay,” he whispers. A second later he’s dragging his hips on top of him like he was before, but much slower, firmer.

Hyunwoo barely lasts. Drawing his eyes shut tightly and holding onto Hoseok’s hips, and rolling up his own with gasps, sobbing again, coming in his trousers. His hips kick and lift Hoseok up slightly. He trembles through it, Hoseok gripping his arms as he does so, trying to ground him. He pulls back and stays seated on his lap, watching him over to make sure he’s doing alright.

Neither of them know why, but they both understand, when Hyunwoo’s breaths don’t even out, instead, going back to that staccato as he sobs very quietly, scrunching up his face. Hoseok makes a soft questioning noise, and gets off his lap to lie next to him so he can pull the prince against himself, putting his arms around the crying man as to keep him in place, right there in front of him where he can’t hide his face. They lie on their sides, turned to each other.

He looks at him, the prince with Hoseok’s come on his chest and his own soiling his pants, crying in his arms for some reason they both can understand but not explain. Hoseok kisses his face very gently, everywhere Hyunwoo kissed his face to wake him up, unconsciously, and few times on his lips, barely giving him time to correspond before he’s pulling back, only to seal them briefly again.

He keeps this up, the soft kisses, until Hyunwoo’s ceased crying, and just happily accepts the affection.

“My heart is big enough,” Hoseok confides.

They both know what he means, which makes his words enough.

“So is mine.”

“Batten down the hatches, men!” Minhyuk is calling from the stern. “Gunhee, put down that sword, you can kill Jooheon later.”

“Is there something wrong?” Hyunwoo asks as he approaches Hyungwon, who’s tying the lines to trim the sails. Everyone seems to be restless, working hard on their chores in a much quicker pace than usual.

“Storm incoming,” Hyungwon tells him. "Won’t be pretty, but Changkyun’s noticed ahead of time so we’re getting ready."

“How bad will it be?” the prince questions, helping him tie a knot by holding down an end of the dark rope.

“No way of knowing yet,” Jooheon calls as he walks by them, seeming to be in a hurry.

Hyungwon watches him walk away as he’s finishing the knot, then turns back to Hyunwoo. “We need to man the capstan,” he says. The both of them walk down the deck toward the capstan, where Hoseok, Jooheon and Kihyun are already positioned.

“Come on, we need to make her as stable as possible,” Kihyun says, talking about the ship. “Push!”

They start pushing the capstan, using all their strength to pull the cords.

“Changkyun, get down from there!” Minhyuk calls to the man in the crow’s nest. “The wind is going to knock you out and dead, and Kihyun won’t be jumping after you,” he says. “We’ll be holding Jooheon back as well.”

Hyunwoo hears Hoseok snicker from behind him, and smiles in amusement.

They are soon done, and Minhyuk helps Hyungwon with the sails, tying the knots and trimming them neatly.

“What should we do?” Hyunwoo asks Jooheon.

“I’m not sure what you can do, mate,” he says honestly. “Might get pretty ugly out here.”

“You’ll stay in my quarters, your highness. They’re safer,” Kihyun says. “You are still too new to the crew to be out here during a storm. It’s far too dangerous.”

Hyunwoo feels troubled by this, not wanting to be confined in a cabin while the others stay outside to face a storm. But as he looks to Hoseok, he notices he’s looking at him with a serious gaze, and nods, letting him know he should do as Kihyun says, as he’s right.

“Will you be safe?” he asks.

“Smooth sea never made a skilled sailor,” Kihyun tells him. “I’ll take care of them, it’s my job.”

“And we’ll take care of him. Don’t worry,” Jooheon promises the prince with a playful smile.

All of them seem to be for him to stay in the quarters and away from the deck and the storm. He sighs, nodding.

“Aye captain,” he says, disappointed. “I will do that.”

“I’ll show you where it is,” Jooheon says, motioning for Hyunwoo to follow him.

“We’ll come fetch you once it’s safe!” Hoseok calls, and the prince looks over his shoulder sadly, making him chuckle fondly.

He follows Jooheon to the captain’s quarters, knowing they’re close to his and Minhyuk’s, but unsure which is which.

It turns out that Kihyun’s quarters share a wall with his, and as he enters the much bigger room, he realizes that the captain could easily hear whatever happened between him and Hoseok couple of days before had he been in his quarters. He doesn’t know if he would want him to be or not.

“You’ll be alright here, stay on the bed, don’t come outside unless we call you,” Jooheon says.

“Will he not he mind me getting on his bed?” Hyunwoo asks, quite uncertain.

His friend laughs, and pats his shoulder. “He will mostly not mind _at all,”_ he promises, and leaves before Hyunwoo can respond.

He’s left in there, in the room with a wide bed, big and lonely, just like he feels. He hopes the storm goes away soon, and that he will have them all safe again. He regrets not having retreated a book for a moment, but then remembers he won’t allow himself to read unless Hoseok is there with him anymore. He sits on the bed, and makes the mistake of picturing Kihyun lying in the middle of it, maybe wearing far less clothing than he usually does, Hoseok’s head on his shoulder as he does when Hyunwoo’s reading to him, and himself on his other side, resting against the pillows with the book in hands and reading it to the both of them, while the captain leaves gentle and lingering touches on the skin of his chest and Hoseok’s back, both nude.

He groans, and falls on his back against the mattress.

They have faced angrier storms, Kihyun remembers, but it does not make this one any easier.

The east indiaman slopes from side to side, strongly, and they find difficulty in standing while trying to keep it as stable as possible.

He manages the helm alongside Changkyun and Minhyuk, the rudder too heavy to be maneuvered by only one of them. Jooheon is by the forecastle, managing a knot that almost let loose and opened a sail – he will have to check on that later –, while Gunhee, Hoseok and Hyungwon are down at the orlop, making sure nothing is loose and they won’t lose water, food and ammunition.

“Jooheon, be careful!” Minhyuk calls, holding onto the helm so tightly his hands are white, completely soaked from the rain, as well as they are.

“I’m holding on!” Jooheon calls back, voice so muffled by the rain and sea that it’s a miracle they can hear.

Hoseok comes up from the orlop deck, and moves to help Jooheon as soon as he notices what he’s doing. But he doesn’t reach him, as the ship tilts, and he barely manages to reach him when he slips.

“Hoseok!” Kihyun cries out, throat hurting at the intensity of it. Hoseok’s going towards the scuppers.

Kihyun lets go of the helm, and runs towards him, almost slipping. Hoseok is gripping onto the opening to the lower decks for dear life, and Kihyun grabs him by the underarms and uses the strength he didn’t know he had to drag him away from the scuppers, and hold onto a mast.

They’re both dripping wet, and Hoseok is on one knee, holding onto the mast and catching his breath after the scare. He looks up to Kihyun, their hair in front of their faces, only not covering their eyes due to the futile attempts at swiping it away. Kihyun’s looking at him, eyes wide and a slight frown.

 _He’s scared._ Hoseok realizes. He looks terrified. _He thought I was going to fall, and he’s scared._

They stare at each other for a moment, and don’t realized how much time has actually passed, though if they asked the others, they would say it was only a couple of seconds. Kihyun looks into his eyes and Hoseok looks right back, seeing the dark orbs troubled and wanting to soothe him so bad.

“Be careful,” Kihyun pleads, eyes speaking louder than his words.

“I will be,” he promises.

They both part ways then, Hoseok going to Jooheon and Kihyun towards the helm, where Changkyun and Minhyuk have been doing a fairly good job by themselves.

“Are you alright?” Minhyuk asks when he’s back.

“Doing just fine,” Kihyun tells him.

Minhyuk doesn’t seem convinced, but that’s not a priority right then, and he lets it go.

They hold on as much as they can, and Kihyun keeps a close watch on Hoseok as much as he can, still haunted by the brief thought of losing him to the sea during a storm. Gunhee and Hyungwon come to the main deck to help, and they keep the sails trimmed and masts in place. Hours pass, and after a good amount of them, they’re finally safe from the sky’s anger.

The sea will still have to calm down more, but the clouds are sparsing, and the rain is long gone.

“Brace and sheet, men, haul the sheets. Changkyun, close haul her!” Kihyun calls around, still soaking wet and exhausted, but set on a decision. “Garther way.”

“Where are we headed?” Gunhee asks.

“Tortuga, I’d say we deserve it. We’re making berth,” he announces, and everyone cheers despite their tired muscles aching.

They all murmur and move around to get themselves in clothes that will be in a better state than what they’re currently wearing. Kihyun tells Changkyun that he’ll be putting on dry clothes, and then he’ll take over the helm so that the gunner can change himself.

Kihyun runs a hand through his hair, and walks past Hoseok as the boatswain gets behind Hyungwon, waiting for him to get down the ladder so he can go down to the berth as well. He looks up and notices Kihyun staring, and gives him a smile. The captain smiles back, and resumes his path to his quarters.

He opens the door slowly, and peeks inside first in case the prince could be changing for some reason. He’s not, rather sitting on the bed with his back to the door. Hyunwoo turns around when he hears someone walking in, and looks up expectantly.

“Are you alright?” they both ask, in unison. They pause for a second, and chuckle.

“I am not the one who was out in a storm, captain. Though I appreciate the concern. I am doing well, but would be doing far better if you tell me the conditions of the others and yours as well,” Hyunwoo says.

“I am doing well. We’re all well, so you do not have to worry. Though Hoseok did give me quite a scare,” he says with a sigh.

Hyunwoo stands, visibly concerned. Kihyun isn’t surprised, he couldn’t say their affections had gone unnoticed, only he didn’t know how far they had gone.

“What happened?”

“He slipped, almost fell into the sea,” Kihyun says, straight to the point. “He managed to stop himself to slip through the scutters, and I went to help him. He’s alright.”

Hyunwoo exhales in relief, and stays silent in thought, hand clutching the fabric of his shirt.

“Are you alright after that? It must have been scary to watch that. Had I been outside when that happened, I cannot say what I would have done,” he says.

Kihyun looks at the prince as he asks that, and realizes something.

“I am good. He’s safe and down in the berth changing into dry clothes.”

“I assume that is what you have come here to do. I will not distract you any further,” Hyunwoo says with a kind smile. “Excuse me.”

“I will be out in an instant. Careful not to slip,” Kihyun promises, and Hyunwoo nods before closing the door after himself.

He tries to be careful, he does, but he all but runs towards the opening to the lower decks, only to find Hoseok already climbing up. He slips, and falls on his bottom. Hoseok laughs as he sees this, and so does Gunhee, who was climbing up right behind him.

“You alright there mate?” he asks with a laugh. Hyunwoo is laughing as well, and nods.

“Come here,” Hoseok offers a hand, which he takes so he can be pulled up. “Are you doing okay?”

“I came to check on you. Kihyun said you almost fell,” he explains, taking a step back to examine Hoseok for any wound. “Are you hurt?”

“No. And there’s no need to question, I would have known this. I was raised in a sanatorium, lambkin,” he chuckles. Hyunwoo’s eyes widen at the information, and he tilts his head.

“How come?” he inquires.

“Parents were gone as soon as I was born. Never knew if they ran or died. A sawbone there took pity on me and kept me around. I was raised by the midwives,” he explains.

“Oh…” Hyunwoo whispers. “I’m sorry.”

Hoseok chuckles, and puts a hand on the lateral of the prince’s neck, rubbing his thumb against his jawline. “It’s alright, lambkin. I have a family now, don’t I?” he chuckles. Still, Hyunwoo takes it to his heart, and promises to always try to make this man happy. Not because he pities him, Hoseok is not a subject of pity, but because that’s what he deserves, always. “Hey, did Kihyun tell you we’re going to Tortuga?”

Hyunwoo blinks. “Oh? So we’ll be finally making berth?”

He nods excitedly. “We’ve been waiting for quite some time for this. I will buy you the nicest pirate stuff. We can get you clothes, darling!”

The prince chuckles at his friend’s excitement, and nods. “That sounds good,” he says.

“Now come on, we should make some grog. I’m worried the others could be sick after spending so much time under the rain,” he says, taking Hyunwoo’s hand to guide him down the ladder. “Then I will sleep for days,” Hoseok sighs dreamily, and the prince can only laugh in amusement.

Kihyun walks out of his quarters soon enough to see both of them going to the lower deck, and smiles minimally as he goes to the helm as to take Changkyun’s place. The gunner leaves to change into dry clothes soon after, and Kihyun maneuvers the boat as the rest of the crew prepares it for the sailing towards Tortuga.

Minhyuk approaches him right after giving Hyungwon instructions, Kihyun ready to tell him off, when his friend very seriously asks. “Are you alright after that scare?”

He shakes off his brief shock to respond “You seem to be uncharacteristically worried about me.”

“Mate, you almost saw Hoseok fall into the sea. _I_ was worried, and honestly had he fallen, I was worried you would have jumped after him as well,” he says with concern.

Kihyun shakes his head. “Hoseok can swim.”

“Yes, and so can Hyunwoo, and yet you went running for him like a puppy,” the quartermaster remarks. “You can’t honestly tell me you didn’t think he could swim. Of course the prince of a coastal country can swim, Kihyun. You just didn’t think, and had Hoseok fallen in we’d have lost both of you,” he stresses. The captain doesn’t have time to reply, as he doesn’t know how to, and his friend adds “and hell, maybe Hyunwoo would have jumped after you even after the storm was over and we called him out. Insane, the three of you, I have to admit.”

“You need to quit talking about the things you don’t know about,” Kihyun says. “None of that happened, so it doesn’t matter.”

“Looking out for a friend, buddy. Your sorry arse would have done the same for me.”

The captain clicks his tongue, then smirks. “Maybe I would have thrown you into the sea myself.”

“Oh, piss off,” Minhyuk says before walking away with a roll of his eyes.

He’s left Kihyun with things to think about, things that make his head hurt, and that he tries to push away. Far, far away.

“We’ll be in Tortuga by tomorrow if the wind keeps up,” Changkyun tells him. “Can’t wait to be on land again.”

“Say it like that and Kihyun’s gonna think you’re quitting,” Gunhee teases.

“For a land job? Never. Also your brother would miss me.”

Gunhee groans. “Gross. God bless my bunk is the farthest away from you two.”

“Yes, and who’s the unlucky bastard who’s right beside them? Oh, of course! Me,” Hoseok mutters in annoyance.

“Oh you do not have the rights to talk about it. You barely sleep in the berth anymore,” Changkyun complains.

Hyunwoo, who’s been sitting next to Hoseok on a lower bunk, feels his face warm up at the truthful implication that his friend has been sleeping in his quarters with him for the past few days, almost every day.

“I saw my chance and I took it,” Hoseok says, and wraps an arm around Hyunwoo’s shoulders. “Stop being ungrateful to the man who’s made you grog.”

Gunhee scoffs. “Right.”

“What is Tortuga like?” Hyunwoo questions.

“Like nothing you’ve seen before,” the powder monkey is the first to answer.

“It’s a port, a very… Pirate influenced one. If you’re going out of the ship, have one of us with you,” Changkyun advises. “Preferably not Minhyuk or Gunhee. Hyungwon tends to disappear, so he’s not a good pick either.”

“He’ll be with me,” Hoseok says. “He will be safe.”

“What are the chances of someone recognizing me?” asks the prince.

“Low,” Changkyun assures. “Even if any of them think you could be who you are, you are not dressed as a prince anymore, so I doubt they would suspect.”

“We can dirty you up some more if we have to,” Hoseok teases.

“Mind the way you talk to me,” the prince complains playfully. “Otherwise I _will_ lose you in Tortuga, and you will not hear from me ever again.”

“Don’t even joke of that,” Gunhee chuckles. “Kihyun would lose his mind.”

“And me as well,” Hoseok adds. “Don’t you dare threaten us like that,” he huffs.

“Should we not go up and see if they need us?” Hyunwoo asks.

They all seem to realize they have spent too much time down there, and gather their things and drink all of their grog before lining up to climb up to the main deck.

“You won’t do that, will you? You won’t run from us when we get to Tortuga,” Hoseok asks when Hyunwoo’s about to go up.

The prince is surprised by his behaviour, and climbs off the first step to approach him. “I do not have business anywhere else. My place is here,” he says. “It bothers me that you would think that.”

“It’s… a bit scary to imagine how lost we would be if you left,” he admits.

“Well then don’t leave me as well, because it is just as scary of a thought for me,” Hyunwoo stresses, leaning in to press a kiss to Hoseok’s mouth before turning and climbing up the ladder.

Hyunwoo’s gotten used to the ship and the crew, but not to the idea that this is permanent. And it’s not because he doesn’t like it either, but rather the fact that it just feels surreal to him. He’s been captured by pirates, made into one of them, all because one of them heard that his life was in danger and for some reason decided to take pity on his soul. And then their captain of all people chose to keep him around for his own safety, even if he was against it at first and had considered killing him.

But then, there was everything else. Hyunwoo had never loved or been loved, not in the way men and women love each other, and he had just figured he would never feel that love, because he was vile, and nothing of sorts could develop between him and other men. What other man would be vile enough to feel something akin to love for him.

Of course, he had never considered _pirates._

It feels like a novel, to have been around for so long while waiting for Kihyun to act on whatever has been going on between them. He knows he’s not insane, knows the way the captain talks to him and treats him is not due to royal blood. He can just picture he would treat Jooheon a similar way, sees how he treats Hoseok like that too, only they’re much more acquainted with each other than himself and the captain are.

The contradiction of the entire novel he’s been living is that Hoseok is not a rival, he’s not the obstacle before he can find himself in the captain’s arms. There’s no surpassing him, not finding a way of getting him ‘out of the way’. Hoseok has been there, along the way, he’s been there way before Hyunwoo, but it’s like he’s been waiting for him so they could resume together. Hoseok is comfort, he’s good, and that’s more than he could ever ask for.

“One day or another we will have to tell everyone why you stayed with us,” Changkyun says.

Hyunwoo’s pulled out of his thoughts, having drifted off mid conversation.

“Yes, I have come to that conclusion as well,” he sighs. “ But I would rather not make a big thing out of it.”

Changkyun hums. “Well, I can tell Jooheon, and he will probably tell Gunhee. Minhyuk and Hyungwon share a conscience, and yet I’m not sure who should tell them, probably Kihyun,” he says. “Before all of that can happen, though, you need to tell Hoseok.”

Hyunwoo nods, pensive. “I am aware of it. I cannot let him learn this from someone else’s lips.”

“Interesting choice of words,” the gunner chuckles.

“I am afraid he might pity me,” Hyunwoo confesses.

Changkyun then raises his head and frowns at him. “I’m sorry, I can’t have heard you right,” he says. “We all have our ridiculously tragic and dramatic reasons for being here. My father was mad and hung himself, Jooheon’s father _was_ hanged. Minhyuk was born of slaves, Hyungwon had to raise his own brother because his mother passed, and Hoseok had no parents at all, raised in a sanctuary for the sick that only served to teach him how to prevent a gruesome death. I know you do not pity us, even if you could. What would make you think Hoseok would pity _you?”_ he asks.

Hyunwoo has no words to use as response. His lips open and close a few times before Changkyun resumes his words.

“He will feel for you, just like me and Kihyun do, because that is more than unpleasant to learn, but Hoseok will not pity you.”

“If I may ask,” the prince starts carefully. “How did the captain become a part of the crew?”

Changkyun smiles at him, and it’s sweet, which confuses him. “Kihyun is from a nation called Massayok. His father was a royal commander,” he explains. Hyunwoo’s eyes widen. “He had everything to become one as well, with time and practice, but he was getting there. And then I guess his rebellious soul caved when this crew’s old folks, which as mostly gone now, attacked a royal ship he was in.”

“And they did not kill him?” Hyunwoo asks.

“Minhyuk was the first to find him down at the orlop. Kihyun has told me they came to some sort of understanding, and Minhyuk brought him to the ship and Kihyun was made a part of the crew soon after. I don’t know what he did not to get killed, but Minhyuk says it’s what happened too,” the gunner says.

“That is… unexpected,” mutters the prince. “I wonder what happened for him to give up on that life and become a pirate.”

“Maybe the same that happened to you,” Changkyun shrugs. “They can say you didn’t have a choice, but I know you had decided to stay long ago.”

Hyunwoo ceases to respond after that, but stays in deep thought next to the gunner until he has to take over the helm.

“Come read me a story,” Hoseok comes to invite him, offering a hand, and Hyunwoo takes it without a second thought, following him to his quarters, where they sit on the bed side by side, and Hyunwoo starts reading the story aloud, Hoseok completely immersed next to him.


	5. Epiphany

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I am not his, and neither are you, as much as we wish to be.

The captain calls all hands hoay to the stern as the sun is going down, and starts distributing all that’s been taken from the loot, giving them equal amounts so they can spend to their heart’s desire once they reach shore.

“Like we usually do, a greater amount will come to me, and I’ll keep a part of it safe in case we need supplies. Hoseok will be taking an amount to get more medicine and bandages, Minhyuk has enough for a good portion of water and food. Whoever wants alcohol, get enough for yourselves, each one of you, and we’ll keep them in the barrels down at the orlop as usual. Do you need anything else?”

“Reminder to get Hyunwoo some new clothes,” Jooheon says. “Some that actually fit him.”

“Those clothes fit him very well,” Minhyuk interjects with a smirk at the prince, who snorts.

“Minhyuk, that’s enough,” Kihyun says dismissively in a calm tone. “Hoseok said he would take him around. I trust him to take good care of him and to stay out of too much trouble,” he says, looking at the two bigger man.

Hoseok smiles brightly, making Changkyun, who’s on the helm right by them, laugh out loud.

“What about ammunition?” Gunhee questions.

“Oh, yes. You and Changkyun will receive an amount to restock on it as well. Anything else you might need, just talk to me or Minhyuk, the money we have left will be stored inside, since our last loot was so prosperous.”

Hoseok pats Hyunwoo’s shoulder sympathetically, but the prince feels nothing at the words, now aware the people in his now sunken ship were all aware he was going to be killed and in on it.

Kihyun tells them to go back to their duties, and they all scatter. Hyunwoo tells Hoseok he is going to change into some other clothes, still keeping vices from when he was a nobleman and changing was a must at every occasion. The boatswain lets him go into his quarters, following behind Kihyun as soon as the prince is out of sight.

Hoseok knocks on the door of Hyunwoo’s cabin, and he waits a moment before opening and walking in. The prince turns around with wide eyes, but sighs when he realizes it’s him.

“By all means just enter,” he chuckles, tucking his shirt in his trousers.

“Like I’ve not seen what’s under those clothes before,” he tilts his head.

Hyunwoo frowns. “When have you?”

“Surprised you don’t remember. You were there,” he sighs dramatically. “In my dreams.”

With a deep blush creeping up his cheeks, the prince throws the shirt he had been wearing at him. “For heaven’s sake!” he huffs.

The boatswain is clearly in the mood for teasing, as he takes the shirt in his hand and brings it to his nose, inhaling deeply and making a pleased face. Hyunwoo is mortified.

“What are you doing?” he questions with incredulity, face beet red and trying to suppress a bashful smile. “That is dirty, do _not_ do that.”

Hoseok drops the shirt on the bed, and chuckles, but waits patiently as Hyunwoo finishes dressing himself.

The prince has to admit that despite his protests, he wishes Hoseok would have kissed him, held him, done anything. His playful words and actions had Hyunwoo hot under the collar and he feels huffy that he didn’t get anything after being riled up.

They reach shore in a few hours, and are given instructions by Minhyuk on their duties. Hoseok helps Hyunwoo off the ship, and the both of them walk down the port. The prince mainly follows his friend, obviously not knowing the place and not wanting to risk getting lost or doing something that could easily get him in trouble.

“Where are we going?” Hyunwoo questions.

“I thought of getting you something,” Hoseok says, taking Hyunwoo through the village where people speak loudly and with profanities embedded in their words. Some seem to be drunk, some just angry, and he’s unsure about the hygiene of the place. “I know it’s not that pleasant a place,” he adds when he notices the way the prince is behaving. “But it gets better if you know where to go.”

Hyunwoo trusts Hoseok to not take him somewhere he most certainly wouldn’t be comfortable in, so he follows with hesitant glances to the people and places around them every once in a while. They pass some taverns, some places he doesn’t want to name, and some stores that are either closed, about to close, or abandoned.

They walk down this alley, a nicer one, where at least drunk men aren’t fighting and Hyunwoo doesn’t feel like he’s in possible danger. Some people greet Hoseok, and he greets back. One of them, a big man in a dress sitting on another man’s lap, in front of one of those places Hyunwoo doesn’t want to name, stands as soon as he sees the boatswain, and smiles at him.

“Hoseok! How long it’s been? You said you would be back,” he says.

“Yuri, how have you been? It’s been quite a while,” Hoseok smiles back. “I’ve been preoccupied, we haven’t been around in some time.”

“I’ve missed you,” the man purrs, and Hyunwoo feels very uncomfortable.

“It would be nice to stay and talk, but I have to him somewhere. He’s new,” he explains, motioning to the prince, who nods cordially to the man, but a little stiff.

Yuri seems to finally notice him, and offers a yellow smile to Hyunwoo. “Oh! How nice. Bring your friend if you want to _talk_ later then,” he says with very clear fake politeness.

“We probably won’t have much time to be around, but it’s been nice to see you!” Hoseok says, which takes a huge weight off Hyunwoo’s chest.

Yuri frowns in annoyance. “Did something happen? Since when do you not-”

“We’re going to be late, sorry!” Hoseok smiles wide and takes Hyunwoo’s wrist, pulling him out of there and only hearing Yuri swear at them. The prince feels his face warming up, and doesn’t want to look at Hoseok. A strange feelings feels his chest.

“That was a fun time,” the boatswain chuckles with irony. “We’ll be right there, don’t worry.”

Hyunwoo hums, looking away as Hoseok guides him gently by the hand. They walk for about two minutes in a heavy silence, until Hoseok stalls and Hyunwoo almost walks into him.

“Are we there?” he asks.

Hoseok lets go of his hand and turns around. “No, it’s around the corner though,” he says. “What’s wrong?”

“Pardon?”

“Why are you being weird?” Hoseok asks.

Hyunwoo frowns. “I am not being _weird,”_ he protests.

“You are, though,” the man insists.

The prince sighs. “It is just uncomfortable to run into people like that, and it feels very foreign to have them talk to you about times when we did not know each other. It…” he frowns. “It makes me realize how little I know all of you,” he explains.

Hoseok looks at him like he’s a kicked puppy, and goes to him to gently cup his face.

“I believe you. But I don’t think that is why you’re acting like this,” he says softly.

“Then… what-”

“You’re jealous of Yuri,” Hoseok puts carefully.

Hyunwoo’s reaction is the funniest Hoseok has ever witnessed. He frowns, his eyes widen, and he shakes his head, looking away into the distance. Hoseok contains his laughter, and just watches the way the prince takes in the knowledge and his eyebrows move as thoughts go through his mind wildly. Hyunwoo is very intelligent, but sometimes the simplest things pass by him unnoticed.

“But…” he tries to say, but he has no arguments. He really is jealous.

It’s so odd to realize he doesn’t like the idea of Hoseok having some sort of relationship with another man, when he doesn’t feel anything but the fondest of feelings when it comes to Kihyun. It scares him a bit, how he doesn’t mind it, how it makes him feel even better to know that Hoseok (and Kihyun) having a relationship with someone else could easily make him hurt so deeply and come to doubt himself, unless it’s with each other – and himself.

“I don’t like this,” the prince finally says with a sigh.

Hoseok smiles at him, so softly that Hyunwoo wonders what could possibly be going through his mind. Is he not upset? Doesn’t it bother him that Hyunwoo wants him to himself only?

“I’m guessing you’ve never been jealous before,” he says.

The prince ponders over it for a moment. “Well, I have been of… toys, anything I had to share with my cousin, I presume. But never of someone, I do not think I have ever-” he looks at Hoseok. “I have never cared enough about someone to want them to myself, not since my parents passed. But I was an only child then so even when they still lived, it was never a problem.”

“How adorable that you find out what jealousy feels like when you’re walking through a dirty port with a pirate you like to fool around with because of a… _gentleman of the night,”_ Hoseok holds Hyunwoo’s hand, still smiling. “You should write a story about yourself.”

“You are better at telling stories than I am. I am only good for reading them.”

“I like the way you read me stories,” Hoseok mutters. “How would I have finished the one we have been reading without you to read it for me?”

Hyunwoo frowns. “You have heard it before?”

“That’s a story for later, lambkin,” the boatswain says. “I have something for you just around the corner.”

Curiosity takes the best of him, and Hyunwoo follows without another question. Just around the corner is another alleyway, this one wider and nicer looking. They come around and Hoseok stops in front of a humble-looking shop.

"Are we going to purchase something Minhyuk asked for?" he asks innocently.

Hoseok smiles. "Not Minhyuk, Changkyun suggested it and I discussed the idea with Kihyun. He gave us his approval."

Hyunwoo nods, accepting his words easily.

They enter and the prince looks around as Hoseok goes immediately after the shop's owner. 

They're at a tailor's shop. And there are many, _many_ frocks and gowns around.

"Hoseok, what are we getting?"

The boatswain comes to him after a long-ish talk with the lady who's behind the counter. "We're getting you a proper stay. A functional one, to make you feel more comfortable."

"There is no need for that. Stays are quite expensive and they require good care, and-"

"We won't get a too expensive one. You can wear it when you want to look nicer, no need to wear it every day," Hoseok explains. "You deserve something. You should have a thing that's not as foreign to you, but also something that will remind you of us."

"There is not a need for it, I swear," Hyunwoo insists, but Hoseok looks over his shoulder and smiles gracefully to the lady before telling her they will be back in an instant and taking Hyunwoo out of the shop with him.

"It's not that expensive, we've got a lot of money from your old ship. Besides, it was Changkyun's idea, and you know he's smart, right?" he asks, making Hyunwoo huff. "And Kihyun thinks it's a good idea too. The others won't care, and maybe Jooheon will even borrow it."

The prince nibbles on his bottom lip. "Will it not look odd?"

He takes a step back and _gapes._ "You cannot be serious. Come here darling we must put you in a nice fitting stay so you can make every lady envious and every man questioning themselves," he says smoothly. "Come."

Hyunwoo lets himself be taken into the shop again, and soon he's being fitted for a crimson underbust stay with soft boning. Hyunwoo’s never had a structure like this, a bodice to create a sharper silhouette, so it feels new, even if all women around the castle wore those.

“Does it feel comfortable?” Hoseok questions as he watches the lady fit the garment around the prince, sharpening the curve of his waist and emphasizing his broad shoulders and chest. Hyunwoo nods, looking down curiously as she fits it around him, making sure all is right. “You look really nice.”

Hyunwoo looks up at him then, and his cheeks are blushed. He smiles and looks back down to observe.

“This seems like a nice fit,” the lady says. “For a big man, you sure have a slim middruf.”

“Thank you, madam,” Hyunwoo says. “I hope that was a compliment, that is.”

“That’s up to you, boy,” she smiles.

Hyunwoo appreciates this. Appreciates Hoseok for bringing him here and giving him the confidence to go through with it, Changkyun for giving him the idea and being considerate, Kihyun for being so accepting and supporting that Hyunwoo should have this to himself, and the tailor’s shop lady who didn’t give him odd looks and only did her job, which is a behaviour he very easily did not expect.

“Well, this is the one you asked for, dear. Would you like to try another one? Maybe another colour?” she states as she’s done lacing him up, and steps back so Hyunwoo can see himself in the mirror behind her.

“That’s a nice contrast to the clothes you’re wearing,” Hoseok says.

“I should wear this under my clothes,” Hyunwoo points out.

“It doesn’t matter, none of us mind and… I’ll be honest, it looks better like this.”

“Unless you wear some undergarments, you should not wear a stay on bare skin. It requires preparation,” she adds.

Hoseok smiles. “See? She knows what she’s talking about.”

The prince is reluctant at first. He looks at himself in the mirror by the corner of the shop, in front of him, the edges of the silver around the frame of the mirror darker from time and maybe the salt from the sea.

“I like this one quite a lot,” he admits. “I would like to keep it.”

“You can try other ones if you want,” the boatswain assures.

“No, this is the one,” he says with a small smile. “I do not need to see any other.”

“Good, I will wrap it for you,” she smiles, going to undo the lacing.

“I would like to wear keep it on, please. I will wear it for today,” Hyunwoo requests. Hoseok inhales shakily, already anticipating how difficult it’s going to be to watch the prince do just about anything while in that sinful piece of a garment.

“Very well. Let us discuss the payment, then,” she says, and that’s when Hoseok steps in to do his part.

_“Kihyun,” he calls. The captain turns around with a questioning look. “This may come off weirdly, but do you have any idea how much a stay may cost?”_

_The captain seems remotely alarmed at this, and frowns. “Is there something wrong with our stay?”_

_Hoseok shakes his head, noticing his mistake. “I mean as in undergarments. Lady undergarments. A stay,” he explains, smoothing his hands down his torso to illustrate what he’s saying._

_To his credit, Kihyun merely raises his eyebrows, and glances down to Hoseok’s torso before parting his lips. “I have never purchased a stay before, I’m afraid. What do you need one for?”_

_“I thought of giving Hyunwoo a treat. He’s been oddly quiet these past days and it would be nice to cheer him up, maybe give him something he can wear instead of those bandannas he wraps around himself,” the man explains, a longing look towards the stern, where his quarters are._

_“I see,” Kihyun hums, not trying to mask the worried look in his eyes. Hoseok is yet to be made known of what has been said between them for Hyunwoo to have come to him in tears all those days ago, but he is patient, and just mainly worries for his friend. “You think he would enjoy a stay, even if those are technically ladies clothing?”_

_“I doubt he would care. And he’s slim like a lady, that narrow waist of his can take quite a lot, I would say,” he explains. “Changkyun was the one to suggest it, we’ve been talking about it and I think it’s a very good idea. What do you say?”_

_“I agree that it would be nice to get something to cheer him up. He will tell you why he’s been gloomy, I’m sure, since he’s been confiding in you so strongly.” There’s a hue to his voice that sounds a bit off, which Hoseok can’t pinpoint. “Changkyun tends to have good ideas.”_

_“Well… some of them,” he chuckles._

_Kihyun snorts. “Alright. Take him to get a stay, get some things that can make him feel more comfortable in the ship,” he says. “Get some things for yourself as well,” he adds quietly, almost shy, and Hoseok feels his face grow warmer at the very simple words that have come out of the captain’s mouth._

_“Kihyun! We need to stock up on aloe vera as well,” Changkyun comes shouting from around the corner, and Hoseok hears the way Kihyun chokes on his own saliva, even if he attempts to mask it._

_“I’m gonna go check on the masts,” Hoseok excuses himself, smiling in amusement as he hears Kihyun scolding the gunner for coming at them shouting like he has no manners._

“I need you to know that you are not a pirate I fool around with,” Hyunwoo says when they’re back in the ship, eating and drinking rumfustian like there’s no tomorrow, the prince tipsy enough to say just about anything that crosses his mind.

“Is that so?” Hoseok questions with a lazy smile on his lips, already leaned over the prince. He reaches down and kisses the lateral of his neck tenderly, still smiling and earning shivers from Hyunwoo.

“Yes,” he replies with a drawn out S sound. “I want you all over, _all_ the time. It’s your fault I have to hold it back,” he pouts, and tries to push Hoseok away, but the both of them end up falling to the side.

The boatswain laughs, clearly intoxicated. “I can’t let you… you’re two of you,” he giggles, dropping his head on Hyunwoo’s chest and staying there.

“The sky is all filthy,” Hyunwoo mumbles, looking up. “All these dots, they must be a pain to wash out.”

“What are you doing?” calls a voice. Hyunwoo looks up to see Kihyun standing there, watching them both on the floor giggling about nothing.

“Captain, the sky is dirty,” Hyunwoo says. “We must wash it!”

Kihyun chuckles, and shakes his head. “We’ll be sure to do that, your highness,” he promises. “Maybe you should go in and rest so you can be in disposition to do it in the morning.”

“Yes, okay…” he says. “Wash the sky in the morning,” Hyunwoo nods vehemently. “Hoseok,” he calls, shaking the man’s shoulder, but he seems to have fallen asleep. “Fuck,” he hisses.

Kihyun’s reaction is a hitched breath that none of the two noticed.

"Come on," the captain mutters softly, helping Hyunwoo lift Hoseok off of him.

"Hoseokie sleeps so well," mumbles the prince as he stands up and drags a sleepy Hoseok with Kihyun to his quarters.

"We're not taking him downstairs?" Kihyun asks when he notices where they're heading.

"No," says the prince, dragging out the vowel. "I do not like to sleep without Hoseokie."

"Oh. Alright," the captain says slowly, taking them to the cabin.

"Nunu," drunk Hoseok chuckles sleepily when they reach the door.

"That's alright Hoseok, you can sleep now," Kihyun reassures.

Hyunwoo giggles, and pulls Hoseok down on the bed with him. Kihyun lets him go, and watches as both men fall onto it with sleepy giggles.

"Alright-" Kihyun starts.

"Wait. Come here," Hyunwoo whispers like he's telling a secret. Hoseok rests his head on his shoulder and nods.

Kihyun chuckles and moves closer to them, leaning in. "Yes?" he asks slowly, expecting him to say something about the sky being dirty again or some other silly thing.

But he doesn't. Instead, Hyunwoo grabs the collar of his shirt, and pulls him closer slowly. Dumbfounded, the captain lets himself be pulled. "I think you are the nicest man I have yet to meet,” he whispers. Hoseok once again nods.

Kihyun feels his face warm up embarrassingly and says "I'm glad."

Seemingly satisfied, Hyunwoo lets him go, and pulls Hoseok so they'll both lie on the bed, falling asleep almost immediately.

The captain walks out slowly, closing the door and resting his back against it, looking up at the sky. He's confused, utterly, with no clue of how to resolve the labyrinth he’s found himself lost in.

He’s in the tavern with Hyungwon and Jooheon when he hears it first. There’s a glass shattering noise which isn’t uncommon in the place, but the voice that follows certainly is. Kihyun stands up to interfere when he recognizes the other voice and accent, and realizes it’s his quartermaster.

“Minhyuk!” he calls angrily, barely saving the man from getting a bottle of gin to the head.

“Kihyun!” the man cries, trying to shield himself from the small woman swinging various things at him. “Help me!”

“Excuse me miss, please, miss!” he tries to talk to her, dodging her swinging hand.

“I do not want to hear anything regarding this waste of space of a man!” she shouts.

“Please, miss, this is my quartermaster, and I still need him in full piece!” Kihyun says.

She stops then, and turns to him. “You’re his superior?” she asks. Kihyun nods. “Well then, this is business I should resolve with _you,”_ she squints.

Kihyun looks at the Minhyuk, who looks guilty as charged for whatever it might be. “What have you done?”

“I promise you I don’t remember?” he grimaces.

“This man has gotten completely hammered, bedded my friend, slept in her home and then vomited all over the floor like a boy who cannot hold his pants up,” she seethes, pointing angrily at the quartermaster.

Kihyun turns to his friend holding the darkest glare the man has ever seen. “Have you lost your mind?”

“I always meet Soyou when I come here! You know this. This time only… I had an accident, it seems,” he says, clearly ashamed. “And I am sorry, but she won’t forgive me!”

“Soyou might forgive you but not me! I want my payment.”

Kihyun pinches the bridge of his nose before looking at the lady and asking “I’m awfully sorry, miss. May I know your name?”

“I am Jieun. Lee Jieun, sadly sharing a name with this disgraceful man,” she huffs, crossing her arms.

“Don’t be mean,” Minhyuk says. Kihyun elbows him.

“I’m sure we can find a way to redeem this idiot,” he says kindly to her. “Maybe you could start by cleaning up Soyou’s place,” the captain tells his crewman.

“I have!” he says. “I have made up for Soyou in all ways I can.”

“And then you left for months after telling us you would be back shortly. I cannot tell you how much it took for me to convince her she needn’t have to wait for you,” Jieun says. “And now you come here and you don’t even visit her!”

“I didn’t know where to find her, she’s moved out,” Minhyuk says, and to his credit he does sound upset about it. “I’ve been wanting to see her for all these months, but something came up.”

“Minhyuk not fulfilling his promise is my fault,” Kihyun says. “There was something to be taken care of and we did so, but it required us to be off longer.”

“I’m not sure I am willing to accept more excuses,” she says seriously. “Cut ties with us and don’t appear again if you will not at least see her from time to time. Soyou doesn’t even want you to be exclusively hers. Just have decency.”

“Minhyuk is not that kind of a man. He truly cares for your friend and I can attest he does, but we can’t be ever sure when we will be coming back or if at all,” Kihyun explains. Jieun seems to soften after that. “Where has Soyou gone to?”

“She is living with me,” she says. “Things are getting more difficult, she had to sell her home and her store. I might end up doing the same if it all stays like this,” Jieun sighs.

Kihyun thinks, and he thinks for a short silence that seems to take over them. “Have you any attachments to this place?” he questions.

“Not quite. We have no family and we will very certainly never get married,” she chuckles bitterly. “We are damaged goods.”

“We might have something to discuss,” Kihyun says. “Would you mind taking Minhyuk with you to see Soyou?” he questions. “He will take you two back to the ship.”

“I will?” Minhyuk frowns.

“Yes, and then we’ll discuss some things,” he says.

Jieun glares at Minhyuk, but accepts, calling him along to follow her out.

It's been dark outside for quite some time when Kihyun calls for all hands ahoy. Hyunwoo had been down in the berth, and is surprised by the sudden call for a gathering in the middle of the night. They go up to the main deck and find some of the others already there, including Minhyuk and Kihyun.

And two ladies.

He looks around confused, meeting eyes with Changkyun, who also looks puzzled. Hyunwoo then looks to the ladies, who look around with confidence, uncaring that they have found themselves in a ship full of pirates. Kihyun catches his gaze for a moment, and inhales deeply before he starts talking, making sure everyone is around.

“After some discussion, between me, Minhyuk, and these two ladies, we have come to a decision, and we come to present an offer to you so we can vote on it,” he says. “Those of you opposed to have Jieun and Soyou as our new crewmembers, say ‘I’.”

No one speaks, and so Kihyun squints. “May we ask why this had been brought up? Any specific reason why we might need two new crewmembers?” asks Changkyun. The others hum in agreement.

“They are not strangers. The both of them have been previously acquainted with our quartermaster,” he explains, and a couple of them snicker. Kihyun sighs. “They have no business in land anymore, and we could do with more men. _Women,_ I’m sorry,” he says to them, who wave him off. “They have also agreed to help calm the storms. But none of you shall be around to see, before you get any fun ideas.”

“I thought we already had Hoseok for that,” Hyungwon says.

Hoseok huffs and grabs his chest, cursing at the rigger.

“Are you sure you would want to be a part of this?” Kihyun asks the ladies.

“I was brought up with five brothers, captain. I don’t fear men or the mess they make,” Jieun says with her chin tilted up.

“It doesn’t bother me,” Soyou speaks. “I have known Minhyuk long enough,” she adds.

Minhyuk has the decency to look bashful, but runs his knuckles against the side of her face, displaying where he’s had a lock of her hair wrapped in a ring for many years. “How sweet,” he says with irony.

“Jieun is good with woodwork, she will most likely share duties with Hyungwon. Soyou has offered to be the cockswain,” Kihyun tells them. “I will only ask once again, are any of you displeased by the idea of having these two ladies in our crew?”

None of them speak.

“Very well. And is it understood that if I find that you have crossed limits and proved to have no boundaries towards them, you will be in certain trouble?” Kihyun questions again. “They are now a part of this crew, part of this ship, and they will be respected, _better_ than you respect each other. Understood?”

“Aye, captain!” they all say. Hyunwoo is pleased with himself as he’s barely late for it.

“Very good. Then you can resume whatever you were doing.”

They disperse, and Hyunwoo watches curiously from over his shoulder how Kihyun and Minhyuk talk to them and walk them around the ship. The both of them are very beautiful, and Minhyuk seems to have some sort of relationship with Soyou. Jieun seems to be on her own, though, and he cannot help but fear the captain might have brought her here for the same reasons Soyou came to be by Minhyuk’s side.

There it is again, the nagging feeling that makes his heart ache and his stomach clench.

“Lambkin, are you quite okay?” Hoseok asks, approaching him.

“I am feeling it again. That odd and bitter feeling,” he says.

Hoseok follows his gaze, and then looks back to Hyunwoo with curiosity. “Jealousy?” Hyunwoo then looks down, ashamed, and leans into the boatswain for comfort. He puts an arm around the prince and chuckles. “Dear, Kihyun loves women, only not in that way.”

“I cannot help it,” he sighs. “I can only bear to think of him alongside me, or you.”

Hoseok frowns. “Me? And what happens to you then?”

“I live knowing the two people I have loved live happily together,” he says. “That should be enough.”

Hoseok shakes his head and has the man look at him. “Oh don’t be silly. As if I could live happily without you, after so long of having you by my side.”

The prince looks at him sadly, and leans in to press their foreheads together. He watches Hoseok close his eyes happily and feels something flourishing in him.

“I should tell you something,” he says. Hoseok opens his eyes. “You should know why I was brought here, why I have been acting differently. Why I am not coming back to Clarkia,” he whispers.

Hoseok steps away and nods. The prince knows the look in his eyes; he’s concerned. He wishes for it to go away, but knows it’ll only grow stronger once he tells Hoseok the truth.

They enter his quarters and sit on the bed facing each other, Hoseok attentive to his words like he always is.

When Hyunwoo starts talking he doesn’t hold back his tears. Hoseok will understand.

Once he's done telling, they fall silent, and Hoseok has the prince's hands in his, gently caressing them.

"You are so brave," he whispers. "You have faced the biggest and mist hurtful betrayal and you stand here as strong as ever."

"It would have hurt more only if it had been you," the prince laughs. "I have been here long enough to accept that life is behind me."

Hoseok leans in and kisses his hands all over, holding them in his own. "Before you started reading the Midsummer's Night Dream for me, Kihyun had read it for me and Jooheon. He never finished, as he and Jooheon split up, and I never asked him to do so. I'm almost certain Changkyun read it all for Jooheon, but that's the time they had together that I did not want to interrupt. It was different from what Kihyun and Jooheon had been." He sighs. "That is only a symbolic way to let you know just how much you mean to me, lambkin."

Hyunwoo breathes in shakily and his head falls forward. Hoseok kisses the top of his head. He moves them, sits with his back against the cabin's wall and brings Hyunwoo to him.

“Do you want to drink something?” Hoseok questions softly, both now sitting down on the bed, Hyunwoo between his parted legs and with his back to his chest. He feels protected like this, with Hoseok. “Or eat anything? We could just go for a walk too, while we’re still at land.”

“Can we go watch the sea from the shore?” he asks very softly, pressing his temple to Hoseok’s cheek.

“Of course, my lambkin,” he mutters.

They get off the bed, Hyunwoo first and then Hoseok, to then walk outside hand in hand, not caring about what the others might think. Any assumptions they could make would probably be correct anyway.

The wind that blows from the sea is salty and cold, singing right by their ears and ruffling up their hair and clothes. The prince walks around Hoseok and places himself against his back, wrapping his arms around him. They stand like that staring at the waves and the moon like they haven’t seen it so many times before, but it’s calm, the ship mainly empty besides them, and it’s an opportunity they won’t find again once they’re back to sailing.

“Darling,” Hyunwoo whispers. Hoseok hums in response. “Will you kiss me?”

Hoseok moves his head away and looks over his shoulder with a smile. “Of course,” he chuckles. “Of course I will.”

He turns to lace and arm around Hyunwoo’s waist and cup his jaw with the other. He’s gentle as he leans in to press their lips together, but it doesn’t last long. The both of them soon grow more impatient, pressing their bodies together and kissing like they’re so desperate, like they need it to be able to breathe.

Hoseok soon has Hyunwoo’s back against a mast and lets the prince undo the string and buttons that close his shirt.

“Please let me touch you, please, please,” Hyunwoo begs as Hoseok kisses his neck while his hands roam around his naked torso under the open top. “Do not do this to me.”

Hoseok pulls back to take his face in his hands and kiss his lips over and over, and then stops to mutter “You know I can’t. It will be wrong,” he pleads.

“I am not his, and neither are you, as much as we wish to be,” he says. “Do as you want with me, darling, please.” Hoseok doesn’t reply, but watches Hyunwoo with an unreadable expression. “I want you as much as I love him,” he says, begs.

The boatswain takes his hand and kisses his knuckles. “I make your words mine,” he whispers.

He leans in and takes Hyunwoo’s lips with his, but it’s short lived as someone interrupts them and they pull apart, surprised.

Kihyun stands there, not too far away, looking directly at them. Hyunwoo wonders if Hoseok can read his expression, for he can’t. The captain looks from one to the other silently, and Hyunwoo slowly moves forward as to have Hoseok behind him, subconsciously worried he could be misread as having acted without the prince’s consent.

“Captain-” Hoseok tries.

“Come with me, both of you,” Kihyun interrupts them calmly, and turns around to get to the quarters.

Both men share a look, but Hyunwoo takes Hoseok’s hand in his and squeezes it reassuringly before they start to follow right behind.

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave a comment and/or kudos if you've enjoyed, twitter and curious cat are @DoctorFatCat


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